NATO leaders agree on spending hike under pressure from Trump

NATO leaders agreed on Wednesday on a massive hike in defence spending after pressure from US President Donald Trump, and expressed their “ironclad commitment” to come to each other's aid if attacked.

The 32 leaders endorsed a final summit statement saying: “Allies commit to invest 5 per cent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.”

Starmer says NATO support for Ukraine stands strong

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said NATO's support for Ukraine is undimmed, despite there being only a brief mention of its war with Russia in the alliance's brief summit communique.

“On the question of Ukraine, the position of NATO has not changed,” Starmer told reporters. “While we work to lower the temperature in the Middle East, we will not for a moment lose focus on Ukraine.”

He denied Ukraine had been sidelined. “In my discussions with leaders there's been a real resolve that now is the time to push again to get (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to the table for the unconditional ceasefire.”

Supporting NATO's call for members to spend 5 per cent of national income on defence and security, he said: “This is the moment to unite, for Europe to make fundamental shift in its posture and for NATO to meet this challenge head on.”

Emmanuel Macron calls threat of heavy US tariffs on European goods an aberration'

The French president confirmed he mentioned the issue while in the Netherlands to leaders including Trump.

🆕 NATO Allies have agreed to invest 5% of their GDP annually in defence.

A substantial commitment in response to significant threats to our security#NATOsummit pic.twitter.com/eFgwH3pfrR

— NATO (@NATO) June 25, 2025

Speaking to reporters after the NATO summit, Macron said the decision from European Allies to substantially increase their defence spendings should “obviously lead to trade peace.”

“We can't as Allies say 'we need to spend more, we're going to spend more,' and within NATO, fighting a trade war. That's an aberration,” Macron said.

Asked whether Trump appeared to hear the message, “ask him the question,” Macron answered.

Trump says he supports NATO mutual defence guarantees

Trump was less than declarative on on his way to the summit when he was asked about his support for Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Asked Wednesday to clarify, Trump said he supports the essential NATO pledge, that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

“I stand with it, that's why I'm here,” Trump said as he met with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. “If I didn't stand with it I wouldn't be here.”

Trump had told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday that whether he is committed to Article 5 “depends on your definition.” The comment rattled NATO members.

Trump keeps lashing out at media over intel assessment

The White House, looking to support Trump's contention that Iran's nuclear programme was devastated by US airstrikes, distributed a statement from the Israel Atomic Energy Commission.

“We assess that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran's military nuclear programme, has set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years,” the statement said.

The Netherlands stands with Ukraine. @NATO stands with Ukraine.

#NATOsummit #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/MLl7s9mqEf

— Caspar Veldkamp (@ministerBZ) June 24, 2025

A US intelligence assessment, which leaked on Tuesday, said there was a delay of only a few months.

Trump said media outlets were “disgusting” for reporting on the assessment, describing them as “very unfair to the pilots, who risked their lives for our country.”

German leader confident about spending boost

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he's confident NATO members will decide on a drastic increase in defence spending “not to do anyone a favour,” but because they are convinced that the threat level has changed.

Merz said as he arrived at the NATO summit that he believes the decision to raise the alliance's spending target to a cumulative 5 per cent of gross domestic product will be made “in great harmony.”

He said that allies agree that “the threat situation has changed, and the threat is Russia in particular.”

Merz added: “I want to say expressly that we are making the decisions we are making not to do anyone a favour, but we are making these decisions out of… our own conviction that NATO as a whole, and this regards the European part of NATO above all, must do more in the coming years to secure its own defence capability.”