U.S. ambassador presses NATO for plan toward 5% defense spending goal

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker is urging alliance members to outline a clear path toward dedicating 5% of their economic output to defense, with a strong emphasis on traditional military capabilities. His comments come as the bloc works to shape a new agreement that aligns with President Donald Trump’s expectations ahead of next month’s NATO summit.

Speaking to Bloomberg Television on Thursday, Whitaker stressed the need for a more ambitious and specific roadmap than the 2% GDP pledge adopted at NATO’s 2014 Wales summit.

“We need to have clear stair steps to meet those goals,” Whitaker said, adding that the bulk of future investments must go toward what he termed “hard defense,” or combat-ready forces, equipment and infrastructure.

The call for increased spending follows continued pressure from Trump, who has made defense contributions a central issue since his first term. Earlier this month, Whitaker signaled that the president may skip the upcoming NATO meeting in The Hague unless member nations formalize a commitment to boost their budgets.

NATO leaders are expected to approve an updated spending target at the summit. One proposal under consideration involves allocating 3.5% of GDP to direct military spending, with another 1.5% going toward related areas, such as defense research and strategic infrastructure, by the year 2032.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine remains a key driver behind the renewed urgency. Following a recent phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin—which reportedly ended without a breakthrough—European allies are accelerating their own military investments.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz responded by stating that Germany is actively increasing its defense budget. Meanwhile, the Netherlands estimated it may need to allocate up to $21.4 billion annually to meet the proposed NATO thresholds.