NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday said allied nations are expected to present "clear, concrete and credible" plans to meet the alliance's target of spending five per cent of GDP on defence by 2035, as leaders gather for the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey. Rutte stressed that Ukraine's security is closely linked to NATO's own, urging continued support for Kyiv against Russian aggression.
NATO Leaders to Outline Defence Spending Roadmaps
Previewing the summit, Rutte said commitments made at last year's summit in The Hague were already producing significant results. "Here in Ankara, I expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach that 5% goal. And the evidence we see so far is impressive," Rutte said.
Highlighting progress over the past year, he added that European allies and Canada are already investing around four per cent of their GDP in defence and security, just one year into a 10-year project. According to Rutte, European allies and Canada spent nearly 20 per cent more on core defence last year than in the previous year, amounting to an additional USD 258 billion in defence investments across 2025 and 2026.
Translating Spending into Military Capabilities
Rutte said NATO now needs to translate increased spending into military capabilities by strengthening defence industries, boosting innovation, and cutting bureaucratic hurdles. "We will announce tens of billions in new contracts that will provide the crucial kit we need to deter and defend," he said. "This will help grow our economies, spread innovation and support hundreds of thousands of jobs, on both sides of the Atlantic."
The NATO chief also stressed that support for Ukraine would remain a key focus of the summit, noting that Kyiv continues to face sustained Russian missile and drone attacks. "Allies and NATO partners must continue to ensure Ukraine gets what it needs," he said. "And let me be clear, all Allies need to pull their weight, so that our support to Ukraine continues to flow. Because Ukraine's security is so closely linked with our own."
Ukraine's Battlefield Dynamics and Air Defence Needs
Referring to the latest Russian strikes, Rutte said Ukraine's armed forces continued to change the dynamics on the battlefield through "bravery, dedication and ingenuity" but required continued international assistance, particularly in air defence. He said the summit brings together leaders of NATO's 32 member states along with partners from Ukraine, the European Union, the Indo-Pacific, and the Gulf region.
Rutte added the alliance would continue implementing commitments agreed at The Hague Summit by increasing defence investments, strengthening deterrence capabilities, and expanding cooperation with industry to meet evolving security challenges. He also said European allies and Canada were assuming greater leadership within NATO's command structure while stepping up conventional defence, reinforcing the alliance's eastern flank, the Baltic region, and the Arctic, and continuing support for Ukraine.
NATO's Collective Strength and Global Economic Weight
"Together we represent nearly two-thirds of the world economy. And we're coming together because we know that cooperation is key. We're stronger together in NATO, with partners, to ensure the freedom and security we all hold dear," Rutte said.
NATO is a security alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. NATO membership is open to "any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area."
