NATO Allies Boost Defense Spending 20% as Trump Threatens US Exit

NATO allies increased their defense spending by 20% in 2025, marking what NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called a "landmark year" for the military alliance. European nations and Canada led the dramatic spending increase as they work to reduce their dependence on US military support.

The spending boost comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO. European allies are scrambling to build up their own military capabilities and reduce their reliance on American weapons imports.

At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, alliance members made an even bigger commitment for the future. They agreed to spend 5% of their country's total economic output on defense by 2035. This is a massive increase from current spending levels.

The new spending targets require allies to allocate at least 3.5% of their GDP annually on core defense needs. NATO Secretary General Rutte praised Europeans and Canada for responding to pressure from Trump, who has consistently criticized allies for not spending enough on their own defense.

This represents the largest defense spending increase by NATO allies in decades, as European nations prepare for the possibility of defending themselves without American military backing.