Executive Branch

Trump at NATO Summit to Push ‘Historic’ 5 Percent Spending Goal Amid Global Conflicts

The Hague summit seeks to finalize a 5 percent defense spending target, yet allies disagree over timelines.
Trump at NATO Summit to Push ‘Historic’ 5 Percent Spending Goal Amid Global Conflicts
NATO secretary general Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference on the eve of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 23, 2025. Markus Schreiber/AP
Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—President Donald Trump will arrive in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24 for a critical NATO summit, aiming to secure unprecedented defense spending commitments from allies, an issue he has championed for years.

This year’s summit is poised to set a bold new defense spending target of 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) for each member country, more than doubling the current 2 percent benchmark.

Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Reporter
Emel Akan is a senior White House correspondent for The Epoch Times, where she covers the policies of the Trump administration. Previously, she reported on the Biden administration and the first term of President Trump. Before her journalism career, she worked in investment banking at JPMorgan. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University.
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