Brussels, February 13 (LaPresse) – "Probably by the end of June, at the NATO summit, there will be a new proposal that will no longer be set at 2% (of GDP in defense spending), nor even 2.5%, but rather over 3%, with almost all countries in agreement."
This was stated by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on the sidelines of the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting. "The 2% commitment, as I have been saying for some time, is now largely outdated. The U.S. Secretary of Defense reaffirmed to us that Trump's request will be for 5%. We have reiterated that for many countries, reaching such a target is impossible," he added.
"The goal we must achieve is to fulfill the capability commitments we have promised to NATO. NATO builds its defense and deterrence capability based on the contributions each country provides. Our priority is to ensure those capabilities in the first phase. And this commitment goes beyond 2%—we don’t need Trump or anyone else to tell us that," Crosetto emphasized.