U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed responsibility for persuading NATO allies to commit to higher defence spending targets.
Speaking during his State of the Union address to Congress, Trump said NATO members — described as “our friends and allies” — agreed to allocate five per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to military defence following what he called his “strong request.”
At a NATO summit in June 2025, member states agreed to invest at least 3.5 per cent of their national GDP in core defence spending, with an additional 1.5 per cent designated for defence-related areas such as infrastructure. The combined five per cent target is expected to be achieved by 2035.
The new commitment marks a significant increase from the previous benchmark of two per cent of GDP.
Trump has consistently pressed alliance members to raise their military budgets and has previously warned that the United States could reconsider its level of support if allies failed to meet a five per cent defence spending threshold.