NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is in Washington for talks with US officials, on Thursday, the 24th of April, called on European countries and Canada to make a breakthrough to increase their contribution to the alliance, reports Reuters.
In its annual report published on Thursday, Rutte wrote that European NATO allies and Canada invested 19.4% more in defence in real terms in 2024 than the previous year, but that efforts should increase in 2025.
US President Donald Trump has announced that NATO allies should spend 5% of GDP on defence, a level currently not reached by any NATO country, including the US.
“Europe and Canada must make a quantum leap when it comes to the contributions and capabilities they bring to bear. To achieve this, they need to invest significantly more,” Rutte wrote.
The report says that last year 22 of the 32 Alliance countries met NATO’s target of spending 2% of GDP on defence.
The report also shows that the US invested about 64% in the alliance’s defence in 2024, while European NATO members and Canada together invested 36%.
NATO Secretary General calls for more investment as Europe steps up defence investment
