NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expects alliance members to agree to a new defense investment plan to increase their military spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product from the current 2 percent. He said he expects NATO leaders to make the “bold” decision during their summit meeting in The Hague from June 24 to 25.
Other items on the NATO Summit’s agenda include deterrence, defense and support to Ukraine.
Rutte relayed his expectations during a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in preparation for the upcoming conference of NATO heads of state and key government officials.
Deployment in NATO Hotspots
In Stockholm, Rutte commended the significant contributions that Sweden has made as NATO’s newest member, including the deployment of Swedish troops to the Forward Land Forces in Latvia and Finland. In addition, he noted that Stockholm has been helping enhance allied naval presence in the Baltic Sea while also deploying Gripen jets for patrols over Poland.
Another Swedish effort is allocating 2.6 percent of GDP to defense in 2024, with plans to increase this share. “This is a clear demonstration of Sweden’s commitment to collective defense,” the NATO chief said.
The Swedish government proposes a total defense bill for the next five years that sets aside $16.2 billion for military spending and $3.4 billion for civil defense.