NATO leaders agree to hike military spending and restate 'ironclad commitment' to collective defense

But ahead of the meeting, Spain announced that it would not be able to reach the target by the new 2035 deadline, calling it “unreasonable.” Belgium signaled that it would not get there either, and Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide its own defense spending. Other countries closer to the borders of Russia and Ukraine — Poland, the three Baltic states and Nordic countries — have committed to the 5% goal, as have NATO's European heavyweights Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. In their statement, the leaders said they were united “in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia.” It had been feared that Trump would would object to that assessment, which European governments need to justify higher spending.