32 Nations Take Historic Decision at NATO Summit

In a landmark move, the 32-member Western military alliance NATO has agreed to significantly boost defense and security spending in response to emerging global threats. According to Al Jazeera, the alliance has committed to spending 5% of each member state's GDP on defense and security by the year 2035.

Of this, 3.5% of GDP will be allocated specifically to core defense areas such as military personnel, weapons, training, and technological advancement. The remaining 1.5% of GDP will go towards broader security-related sectors, including protection of critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and strengthening the defense industry.

NATO leaders stated that the initiative aims to address "deepening security threats," particularly the long-term threat from Russia and the persistent danger of terrorism.

Ukraine Left Out of Membership Mention
While NATO countries reiterated their continued support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia, this year’s declaration did not include any mention of Ukraine’s potential membership, a point that had featured in past summits.

High-Level Participation
The summit, attended by heads of all 32 NATO member states, top EU officials, and representatives from Ukraine, featured some of the world’s most prominent leaders. Key figures included:

• U.S. President Donald Trump
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
• French President Emmanuel Macron
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

Leaders from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden also took part.

A Message of Unity and Resolve
The summit clearly conveyed NATO’s readiness to face future global challenges as a united force. With this new investment commitment, the alliance emphasized its determination to strengthen its military posture and strategic resilience in an increasingly unstable world.