[By Observer Net, Shao Yun]

The NATO summit in The Hague opened amid differences and tensions. According to the Financial Times and The Guardian, on the 24th, NATO Secretary General Rutte urged Europe not to "over-worry" about the US commitment to NATO, saying that as long as they focused on increasing defense spending, it would be fine.

According to the report, Rutte mentioned at the opening of the NATO public forum before the summit that many European member states doubted whether the US would continue its security commitments to NATO, but he has always considered such concerns unnecessary. He said that the US recently followed tradition by nominating US Air Force General Aleksandr Glinka as the supreme allied commander of NATO's European theater, which also confirmed this point.

"Guess what? The new supreme allied commander for Europe has been announced. When I checked his passport last time, he was still an American, so the situation you are worried about hasn't happened," Rutte said.

Rutte continued to emphasize: "The US president is fully committed to NATO, but the US also has an expectation that NATO will solve this long-standing problem of insufficient military spending." He called on member states to significantly increase defense spending according to the request of former US President Trump, ensuring that the US would not withdraw its commitment.

"My advice to my European colleagues is: stop over-worrying about the US... start working now to ensure that your investment plans are completed, establish an industrial base and get it running, and continue to provide high-level support to Ukraine. This is where you should focus your efforts," Rutte said, "they are with us."

June 24, 2025, The Hague, Netherlands - Rutte delivers a speech at the NATO public forum during the NATO summit. Visual China

Before the summit, the 32 NATO member states reached a compromise on the military expenditure percentage plan after difficult negotiations: by 2035, NATO allies have pledged to increase their military spending to 5% of GDP, with 3.5% as core military spending and 1.5% as military and security-related investments. The relevant plan will be submitted for approval at the summit.

Currently, many European member states, including Germany, France, and the UK, have already committed to achieving the new goal. However, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez previously announced that Spain would support the summit statement but did not agree to raise defense spending to 5%. Sanchez said that Spain had reached an agreement with NATO to set its own flexible military spending plan, setting the military spending ratio at 2.1% of GDP.

The Spanish newspaper 'El Mundo' quoted sources on the 23rd, stating that the agreement between Spain and NATO may affect the unity of the alliance, as other countries might see it as 'unfair' and hope to also obtain 'special treatment'.

According to AFP, Belgian Foreign Minister Prevot told the media on the 23rd that NATO's requirements exceeded its 'budgetary capacity', "We may not have made such a loud statement as Spain, but... for weeks, our diplomats have been trying to seek flexibility mechanisms". According to the report, Belgium's current military spending accounts for 1.3% of GDP.

NATO estimates that last year, the total core defense spending of all member states accounted for approximately 2.6% of NATO's total GDP, totaling about $1.3 trillion. The largest share comes from the US, with spending close to $818 billion. Reuters reported on the 23rd that increasing the military spending ratio to 5% means that countries will invest thousands of billions of dollars in defense over the next decade, forcing governments to significantly cut social spending or raise taxes.

More complicated is that although the US pressured allies to increase military spending, Trump publicly stated that the US does not need to comply with the new 5% target. On the 20th, Trump spoke to the media about the NATO military spending issue, saying, "We have supported NATO for a long time. In many cases, we almost bear 100% of the costs. So, I think we shouldn't (reach 5% of GDP), but NATO countries absolutely should."

An American media outlet reported on the 23rd that the arrangement of this NATO summit seems to be "tailored for Trump". By setting higher military spending targets, NATO tries to show unity among member states and signal to Trump that "Europe is fulfilling its defense responsibilities". However, there are still unresolved divisions within NATO on many issues, making the summit's prospects uncertain. A French columnist wrote in the French newspaper 'Le Monde' that "Our American allies have become so unpredictable and hostile that no one dares to imagine how this NATO summit will proceed".

This article is exclusive to Observer Net. Without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7519505546760700428/

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