NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is expected to call on alliance members to increase air and missile defence capabilities by 400% during a high-level meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday. The call comes ahead of a pivotal NATO summit set to take place in the Netherlands later this week.
In prepared remarks released by NATO, Rutte will stress the need for a “quantum leap” in collective defence spending, citing the growing threat from Russia. “We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,” Rutte is expected to tell leaders.
The former Dutch prime minister, who took over the NATO leadership earlier this year, is advocating for a sharp increase in both traditional defence budgets and infrastructure spending. His proposal includes raising the defence spending target to 3.5% of each member’s GDP, with an additional 1.5% allocated for defence-related infrastructure, including bridges, airfields, seaports, and roads.
This marks a significant escalation from NATO’s current 2% GDP spending target, agreed upon in 2014. At present, 22 of the alliance’s 32 member states meet or exceed the existing benchmark. Only Poland currently surpasses Rutte’s proposed 3.5% target, allocating 4.32% of its GDP to defence. The United States follows closely at 3.4%.
The push for increased defence investment reflects growing anxiety over Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and renewed pressure from the United States. Former and current U.S. administrations, including that of President Donald Trump, have long demanded that European allies take greater responsibility for their security.
In response, several NATO countries have recently unveiled major defence spending plans. The UK has committed to raising its military budget to 2.5% of GDP and aims for 3% by 2034. Last week, the British government announced plans to build 12 new attack submarines and six ammunition factories—the most comprehensive revamp of its defence sector in decades.
Germany, historically cautious about military expansion, has also taken steps toward boosting its defence budget. Its parliament passed a constitutional amendment exempting defence spending above 1% of GDP from the nation’s strict debt-limit laws, clearing the way for greater military investment in 2025.
As NATO leaders prepare to gather later this week, Rutte’s proposals are expected to be central to the agenda, potentially reshaping the alliance’s long-term defence posture amid intensifying global instability.
