Key takeaways from the NATO summit : NPR through NewsFlicks

President Donald Trump speaks right through a media convention on the finish of the NATO summit as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, proper, and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth concentrate, in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

Alex Brandon/AP Photograph

disguise caption

toggle caption

Alex Brandon/AP Photograph

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — NATO’s summit within the Netherlands on Wednesday has been described as “transformational” and “ancient.” “We are witnessing the delivery of a brand new NATO,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb stated.

The 32 individuals of the arena’s largest safety group recommended a plan to hugely ramp up protection spending, “again to the protection expenditure ranges of the Chilly Battle,” as Stubb put it, pushed through U.S. President Donald Trump and fears of the protection danger posed through Russia.

Listed below are one of the most takeaways from the two-day assembly in The Hague.

Tens of billions of greenbacks in new army spending

The nonbinding spending settlement manner a steep finances hike for NATO’s Eu individuals and Canada that may value them tens of billions of greenbacks.

It is a main revamp of the way in which NATO calculates protection spending. Till now, the allies had set a goal of two% of gross home product for his or her protection budgets. Now they are going to be aiming for three.5% through 2035.

They’re going to now have the ability to come with guns and ammunition they provide to Ukraine within the equation, making the brand new goal fairly more straightforward to succeed in, however nonetheless tricky for Canada and numerous Eu international locations with financial troubles.

On most sensible of that, the allies will devote 1.5% in their GDP to upgrading infrastructure — roads, bridges, ports and airfields — had to deploy armies to the entrance. Cash spent on protective networks or making ready societies for long term battle may also be integrated.

Growth shall be reviewed in 2029, after the following U.S. presidential election.

Now not everyone seems to be on board. Spain formally refused the settlement. Slovakia had reservations. Belgium, France and Italy will combat to satisfy the brand new goal.

NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte speaks right through a media convention on the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

Matthias Schrader/AP

disguise caption

toggle caption

Matthias Schrader/AP

A Trump dedication to collective protection

The leaders reaffirmed their “ironclad dedication” to NATO’s collective protection clause, Article 5. In recent times, Trump had sowed seeds of doubt about whether or not the U.S. — NATO’s maximum tough member — would come to the help of any best friend below assault.

Trump had perceived to situation that beef up on upper protection spending. With NATO’s new spending pledge within the bag, he instructed journalists that “I left there pronouncing that those folks in reality love their international locations. It is not a ripoff. And we are right here to lend a hand them offer protection to their nation.”

He added that “they would like to offer protection to their nation, they usually want the USA, and with out the USA, it is not going to be the similar.”

A sidelined Ukraine

After Russia invaded Ukraine through launching the largest land battle since Global Battle II in 2022, NATO summits have in large part considering offering beef up to Kyiv. This summit used to be other.

Up to now, the emphasis used to be on Ukraine’s club possibilities and on bringing it nearer to NATO with out in fact becoming a member of. However the ultimate summit remark this time made no such point out.

As a substitute, the leaders underlined “their enduring sovereign commitments to supply beef up to Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used to be on the venue. He dined with different leaders on the Dutch king’s place of abode, held talks with a number of leaders and spent part an hour or so with Trump.

NATO’s plan used to be to center of attention the assembly handiest on Trump’s puppy reason, protection spending. International ministers did meet at the sidelines with their Ukrainian counterpart in an legit NATO-Ukraine Council.

In a minor win for Ukraine, and for allies wanting to steer electorate that their governments should spend extra on protection, Russia used to be recognized because the standout of the “profound safety threats and demanding situations” dealing with NATO.

Netherland’s High Minister Dick Schoof, proper, speaks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy right through a gathering on the Catshuis at the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

Markus Schreiber/AP

disguise caption

toggle caption

Markus Schreiber/AP

A “great workforce of folks”

If there have been doubts that the USA runs NATO, the summit got rid of them. An overly shortened summit and one-page remark have been ready to stay the U.S. president satisfied and targeted.

As Trump flew to the Netherlands, NATO Secretary-Common Mark Rutte despatched a textual content message gushing about him being at the verge of a super success and pronouncing, “Europe goes to pay in a BIG approach, as they will have to, and it’s going to be your win.”

Trump posted the message on social media. Rutte stated he wasn’t embarrassed and that it used to be all true.

After the assembly, Trump stated he got here to the summit seeing it as a political chore, however he used to be leaving satisfied that the assembled leaders love the alliance, their very own international locations and, most commonly importantly, the USA.

He referred to as NATO leaders a “great workforce of folks” and stated that “nearly each considered one of them stated ‘Thank God for the USA.'”