Key facts
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda warned NATO could fracture if member states do not meet the alliance's 5% GDP defense spending target.
- Nausėda stated that differing spending levels could split NATO into 'two or three parts'.
- Most European countries are currently spending significantly below the 5% target.
- The Baltic states are among the highest defense spenders in Europe.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated Germany is increasing its defense budget and aims to meet the target by 2029.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda warned that NATO faces a significant risk of fracturing if some member states fail to meet the alliance's target of spending 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
Nausėda expressed concern that a divergence in defense spending, with some nations increasing their contributions while others remain at lower levels like 2 percent or 2.5 percent, would naturally divide the alliance. He stated this division would be detrimental to NATO's collective defense spirit and solidarity.
NATO allies, with the exception of Spain, agreed at last year's summit in The Hague to reach the 5 percent GDP spending target by 2035. However, with most European countries currently falling short and facing fiscal challenges, achieving this goal remains uncertain.
The leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, who are among Europe's highest defense spenders relative to their economic output, met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. Their discussions aimed to coordinate positions ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, with a key focus on reassuring U.S. President Donald Trump about European defense commitments.
Trump had previously posted on Truth Social that the United States spends more on NATO protection than any other country without receiving benefits, calling some European countries' defense expenditures 'Ridiculous!' In response, Merz stated that Germany is significantly increasing its defense budget, doubling it within four years, and is committed to meeting the NATO spending target by 2029.