The information was revealed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on July 6, according to AFP. This move is to show US President Donald Trump that allies are seriously implementing their commitment to increase defense spending.
Mr. Trump will attend the military alliance of 32 members in Ankara, Turkey on July 7. The conference takes place a year after NATO countries pledged to increase total spending on defense and security to an equivalent level of 5% of GDP by 2035.
In just one year, we have witnessed transformative progress" - Mr. Rutte shared with reporters in Ankara.
He said that NATO member countries in Europe and Canada have now invested about 4% of GDP in defense and security, and will present a specific roadmap to achieve the ultimate target of 5%.
To show that member countries are actually increasing defense investment, NATO is preparing to announce a series of notable arms procurement agreements at the defense industry forum held on the sidelines of the summit.
We will announce new contracts worth tens of billions of USD to provide essential military capabilities for deterrence and defense," Mr. Rutte said.
According to the NATO Secretary General, in 2025, NATO countries in Europe and Canada spent nearly 20% more on core defense than the previous year.
If combined with the two years 2025 and 2026, the additional investment will reach 258 billion USD," he said.
According to Secretary-General Rutte, in addition to shouldering more responsibility for their own security, European countries are "leading the way in supporting Ukraine".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend part of the NATO summit.
While Ukraine continues to defend its sovereignty, NATO allies and partners need to ensure that this country receives what it needs" - Mr. Rutte affirmed.
According to diplomats, Europe and Canada are expected to commit at the conference to maintain at least 70 billion euros (80.1 billion USD) in military aid to Kiev each year in 2026 and 2027.
