NATO Reports $1.3 Trillion Defense Spend, Rutte Calls for 'Quantum Leap'

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged European allies and Canada to make a "quantum leap" in defense spending, despite a 19.4% increase in their investments in 2024. While 22 out of 32 NATO members met the alliance's 2% of GDP defense spending target last year, significant disparities remain, with the United States shouldering 64% of NATO's total defense expenditures. Rutte emphasized the need for European countries and Canada to accelerate their efforts and substantially increase their contributions and capabilities in 2025. The call comes amid ongoing debates about fair burden-sharing within NATO, intensified by renewed security concerns following Russia's war in Ukraine. Although former U.S. President Trump has advocated for a 5% GDP defense spending goal for allies, no NATO member, including the U.S., currently meets this level. Rutte's remarks signal growing pressure on European capitals to close the defense gap and reinforce the alliance's collective security commitments.