In an effort to prevent a repeat of US President Donald Trump’s early departure during a recent G7 meeting, NATO has reduced the format of its upcoming leaders’ summit to a single working session. Scheduled to occur in The Hague on Wednesday, the gathering comes against a backdrop of uncertainty about America’s ongoing commitment to European defense after Trump suggested he might withdraw protections for allies not committing to a 5 percent GDP spending pledge on defense.
Originally planned for three days, the summit will now consist of one 2.5-hour session involving the 32 leaders, focusing on the defense spending commitment. This decision, according to three officials familiar with the planning, is intended to keep Trump engaged throughout the proceedings.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has garnered support for his initiative aimed at raising core military spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2030, alongside a proposed 1.5 percent investment in security-related infrastructure like roads and cybersecurity. However, officials indicated that Spain and a few other nations are still hesitant to endorse this commitment.
An informal dinner hosted by the King and Queen of the Netherlands is also on the agenda for Tuesday evening. One official commented, “The entire point is to make it as small and as focused as possible, with as little scope for disruption.”
Claudia Major, senior vice-president at the German Marshall Fund, remarked at an FT Live event in Berlin, “It has gone from two days to one two-hour session… so it should be feasible, and my hope is that it will work. But I gave up trying to predict Trump.”
Trump’s recent exit from a G7 summit in Canada, where he left before discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was reportedly influenced by his dissatisfaction with French President Emmanuel Macron’s criticism and his disinterest in meeting Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy has been invited to the gathering in The Hague and will attend the dinner on Tuesday evening.
On the contentious 5 percent spending pledge, Spain has emerged as the primary holdout, as confirmed by two sources. Other nations are reportedly supporting Madrid’s reservations about the target, despite significant pressure from other capitals to accommodate Trump and facilitate a successful summit. A Spanish government source expressed concern that such a drastic rise in defense spending could undermine Spain’s social welfare programs.
Additional reporting contributed by Barney Jopson in Madrid.