Details still need to be hammered out, including the deadline for reaching that threshold and the definition of what qualifies for both spending categories.
Rutte has suggested a 2032 deadline for the new spending goal, but Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said ahead of the meeting that 2032 was too late and that allies should commit to reach 5 percent within five years instead. That view is shared by other frontline states concerned about a Russian attack.
Members will have to present plans for yearly increases to show their progress toward the new objective, Rutte told reporters.
Reaching the 30 percent increase in capabilities will require a lot of cash, especially as some nations still haven’t reached earlier goals set in 2021. The Dutch government has estimated that meeting them will cost an extra €19 billion a year, on top of the current 2 percent of GDP defense budget.
The bulk of the effort will have to be made in the next five to 10 years, but the goals span the next two decades and will be reassessed every four years, a senior NATO official said.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Germany will need to add 50,000 to 60,000 active-duty soldiers to its current strength of 182,000 to meet NATO’s new objectives.
Chris Lunday, Csongor Körömi and Paul McLeary contributed reporting.