State Secretary Marco Rubio said on Thursday that NATO countries should provide a “realistic route” to increase their defense spending to hit 5% limit – including America
Speaking at the program of NATO’s Foreign Ministers in Brussels, Rubio said, “I understand that after the creation of domestic politics, huge social security traps, which probably does not want to go away from it and does not want to invest more in national security.” “But the events of the last few years … Ground War on full scale in the heart of Europe as a reminder that is still necessary as a hurdle.
Rubio said, “We want to leave here with an understanding that we are on a route, to fulfill the promise of reaching a realistic route for each of the members committee, and reaching 5% of spending,” Rubio said, “The United States will have to increase its percentage.”
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State Secretary Marco Rubio Brussels, Belgium, during a press conference on the day of NATO’s Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the headquarters of Alliance on 3 April 2025. (Reuters/Yves Herman)
While most of the 32 NATO members currently spend 2% of their country’s GDP according to previous NATO commitments, eight countries – Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain – have yet to fulfill their defense spending pledge.
Only Poland spends more than 4% of its GDP on defense, while four other nations spend more than 3% – Estonia, America, Latvia and Greece.
Despite an increase in severe expenditure, it will demand from all NATO countries, Rubio’s push is unlikely to be found with serious opposition as NATO general secretary Mark Rute, and other NATO colleagues have called for rapid over -defense spending.
In 2024, Washington spent 3.38% of its GDP on defense, which was equal to more than $ 967 billion, according to NATO data released in July.
The US shut down 2024 with a GDP of over $ 29.7 billion, meaning that it is on track to spend $ 1 trillion on defense in 2025 if it maintains a current expenditure rate of 3.38%.
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NATO’s largest annual maritime drill, exercise Dynamic Meriner/Floex 25, March 2025 continues from Southern Spain to Cadies Gulf. (Burak Akbulut/Anadolu through Getty Image)
Rubio did not expand that nations expect nations to increase their defense spending to hit the 5% threshold, although if the US had done so in 2025, it would mean allocating about $ 1.49 trillion for defense – a figure that is more than the current total spent by the entire NAT alliance, which collectively spends $ 1.47 trillion in 2024.
“As we speak now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been,” Rubio said. “Some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and some domestic media in the United States of NATO is unfair.
“The United States President (Hai) clarified. He supports NATO. We are going to stay in NATO,” he again confirmed.
State Secretary Marco Rubio congratulated the press as it runs on the first day of the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers at Brussels, Belgium on April 3, 2025 with the newly appointed American permanent representative of NATO Mathew Whitekar. (Omar Havana/Getty Image)
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Rubio said that NATO nations can actually stop aggressive nations like Russia and China, which is collectively increasing the abilities of each NATO nation to contribute to the collective defense of the coalition.
“We understand that this is a business,” said Rubio. “We have to do it every year in our country – I assure you that we also have domestic needs.
“But due to the role we have played in the world, we have given priority to defense, and we want our companions to do the same,” Rubio confirmed.
