NATO leaders formally endorsed a new defence spending pledge raising the alliance's investment ambition to 5 percent of GDP at their two-day summit in The Hague on Wednesday, according to the communiqué released by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The agreement came after sustained pressure from President Donald Trump.

The new target divides spending between core military expenditure and broader security investment such as infrastructure and cyber defence. Rutte said the framework would allow members to reach the headline figure over roughly a decade, with progress reviews scheduled before 2030. The previous benchmark of 2 percent had been set at the 2014 Wales summit.

Not all members embraced the figure without reservation. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez publicly questioned affordability in the days before the summit, while government officials in Rome and Brussels cautioned that domestic fiscal rules could complicate compliance. Eastern flank states including Poland and the Baltic governments welcomed the commitment as overdue.

The pledge represents a political victory for Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to condition American protection on increased European burden-sharing. A White House statement described the outcome as a vindication of his approach. European government officials privately acknowledged the deal was partly structured to keep Washington committed to the alliance.

Rutte framed the agreement as a response to threats from Russia and instability beyond Europe's borders. "This is a quantum leap in our collective defence," he said at the closing news conference, adding that allies would be held to account through annual reporting.