NATO's 5% Defense Target Under Strain | US News

NATO’s pushing member nations to hit 5% of GDP on defense by 2035, a massive leap from current levels, as Secretary General Mark Rutte defends progress at the upcoming summit — but reality’s messier. While countries like Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia are already ahead, others including the UK, France, and Italy are straining under budget pressure. Germany’s making an exception to its borrowing rules to fund the jump, while the UK’s new commitments remain unfunded. Italy’s target of 2.8% by 2026 is being paid for by cutting domestic security spending. Defense firms are hesitant to invest long-term amid uncertainty over future budgets. The push underscores the tough balancing act between security and economics across the alliance. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/aeece4ae73a0898d