NATO Summit 2025: Commitment to Article 5
Jule 1, 2025
By Elisa Cano
The annual summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on June 24-25, 2025. The meeting brought together representatives of the 32 member states, along with invited strategic partners, to strengthen collective security, review current commitments and address emerging geopolitical and technological challenges. It was the first summit organized by the Netherlands and also the first under the leadership of the new Secretary General, Mark Rutte. The organization of the event required an unprecedented security operation in the Netherlands, known as “Operation Orange Shield”: more than 27,000 troops were deployed to protect the delegations.
One of the central points of the meeting was the collective commitment to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP in each member country by 2035. This target was endorsed by all member states, although with varying degrees of commitment, depending on the economic capabilities of each.
The proposed distribution is as follows:
- 3.5 % of GDP earmarked for direct military spending: armaments, personnel, operations, training and maintenance.
- 1.5 % of GDP allocated to other security-related elements, such as strategic infrastructure, technological innovation, cyber defense, defense industry and civil resilience.
This increase in spending seeks to ensure NATO’s deterrence capability against present and future threats. A mid-term review was agreed in 2029 to assess progress achieved and adapt strategies according to the economic and political context of each country.
Although 5% is the overall target, the agreement allows for flexibility. Some countries, such as Spain, indicated that their current fiscal circumstances limit their ability to reach this level in the short term. In their case, they undertook to reach an expenditure of 2.1% of GDP in a gradual and structured manner. It was also agreed that certain types of external support – such as financial or military assistance to partner countries like Ukraine – may be counted towards the percentage, provided they are aligned with NATO’s strategic objectives.
Member countries reiterated their commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which states that an armed attack against one of them will be considered an attack against all. This principle of collective defense remains at the core of NATO and was expressly endorsed by all summit attendees. The final document of the meeting stresses that, in order to ensure the credibility of this commitment, it is essential to strengthen military capabilities, optimize interoperability between allied forces and conduct joint exercises.
During the summit, a strategic analysis was presented that describes Russia as a sustained medium- and long-term risk to European and Atlantic security, especially on the eastern flank of the Alliance. According to the reports discussed, this challenge requires coordinated structural responses. In the context of the war in Ukraine, which started in 2022, NATO leaders reaffirmed their support for the Ukrainian government. Although Ukraine’s membership was not discussed, active cooperation in a number of areas was ratified and it was established that support for Ukraine will continue within the framework of NATO-Ukraine collaboration.
The summit devoted a significant part to the assessment of defense technological capabilities. Topics such as artificial intelligence applied to military environments, electronic warfare, autonomous systems and cybersecurity were addressed.
In this framework, the allies agreed to strengthen programs such as DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic), a network of centers that promotes the development of emerging technologies for defensive purposes, and the NATO Innovation Fund, endowed with more than one billion euros, which finances strategic projects in emerging companies in the technology sector.
All in all, the NATO summit strengthened collective security, modernized defense capabilities and reaffirmed preparedness for a changing global environment. With the agreement on military spending, support for Article 5, technology upgrades and continued support for Ukraine, the Alliance appears cohesive, focused on deterrence and stability. Follow-up to these commitments will take place at the 2026 summit.