North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states have agreed to increase defense spending amid growing geopolitical tensions. According to international media, the heads of state will make a commitment to increase defense spending to 5 percent of the gross domestic product at the NATO annual summit to be held on Tuesday.

On the eve of the conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded that it would not be difficult to convince all 32 member states to increase defense spending.

In an interview with The Guardian, Secretary General Rutte said that NATO members have agreed to increase defense spending, noting that there is "a lot at stake" due to the Russian attack on Ukraine. "The security situation has changed a lot and when the time comes to defend (in the event of an attack on a NATO member), we must fulfill our commitments to a collective effort," The Guardian quoted Root as saying.

Under this plan, NATO members will commit to allocating 3.5 percent of GDP to defense spending and an additional 1.5 percent to broader security-related investments, including cyber security, road and bridge construction for military vehicles, and intelligence. US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and others are attending this annual summit of the military alliance of European and North American countries. The conference is being held in The Hague, Netherlands.     

The conference is about to be held in the background of the Russia-War war entering its fourth year and the Israel-Iran war. Although Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, the situation in the Middle East is not expected to calm down immediately. Speaking in his hometown of The Hague, former Dutch prime minister Rutte described Russia as the "most important and direct threat" to NATO. He estimated that Moscow could attack NATO members within the next three to five years. "They (Russia) want to expand their territory, they have been reestablishing themselves rapidly for a few years," said Root.

According to General Secretary Rutt, Russia is "producing four times more ammunition" than the entire NATO alliance, despite its economy of $2 trillion compared to NATO's total economy of $50 trillion. "That's why we have to ensure that we increase investment in our defense sector," he said.

Currently, European countries are more dependent on American military support and this has increased their expenses, Trump and America have been complaining. Since his appointment as secretary-general in 2024, Root has been tasked with resolving NATO's strained relationship with the US president. This tension has sometimes raised questions about the very existence of the alliance. Root, who has a positive relationship with Trump, emphasized that Trump is "absolutely" committed to NATO.