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The new Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, believes that each Alliance member state should determine independently how to meet its defense spending obligations.
He stated this in a comment to ANSA.
According to Dragone, NATO members will need to quickly reach the defense spending target of over 2% of GDP, but each country should decide how and when to achieve this based on its specific situation.
“Every NATO country will need to quickly reach defense spending levels exceeding 2% of GDP because we’ve recognized that this is no longer sufficient,” said the Alliance’s top military official.
This will be achieved “within the timelines and through the methods each country determines, depending on its situation, as nations remain sovereign,” the admiral added.
“There’s no point in making bold statements without considering national capitals. Beyond talks of increasing the figure—whether it’s 3% or 5%—I believe what’s ultimately needed is a genuine and honest self-assessment of how we should spend better and together,” Dragone said.
Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to request that NATO countries allocate 5% of their GDP to defense instead of the current 2% benchmark.
While some countries, such as the Baltic states and Poland, supported Trump’s demand, others, like Germany, called the 5% GDP target unattainable.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western nations not to cut corners on their security, indirectly supporting Trump’s call for increased defense spending.
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