NATO members agree to paying 5% of GDP on defense

As NATO member states wrapped up their summit in the Netherlands, they agreed to increase their defense spending over the next ten years.

This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of the allies' lack of contribution.

Lee Seung-jae has more.

Members of the NATO alliance on Wednesday agreed to raise their defense spending target from the current two percent of GDP to five percent by 2035.

In a joint declaration, the military bloc agreed to invest five percent annually to ensure its "individual and collective obligations."

According to the declaration,.. the five percent figure is made up of "at least" 3-point-5 percent on "pure" defense", while the remaining 1-point-5 percent going to security and defense-related "critical infrastructure."

In addition,.. member countries will be required to submit annual plans that show a "credible, incremental path to reach" the goal of 5 percent.

The agreement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump had been critical of the military bloc for its lack of contribution to defense spending.

Meanwhile, after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his country could meet its commitments to NATO while spending much less than the new target of 5 percent of GDP, Trump threatened Spain with higher tariffs if it did not commit to the same target as all the members.

"You what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We're going to make them pay twice as much and I'm actually serious about that."

President Trump also held a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday at The Hague, after which the U.S. president didn't rule out sending Ukraine monetary and defense aid.

"So let me just tell you they do want to have the anti-missile missiles, okay, as they call them the Patriots, and we're going to see if we could make some available, you know they're very hard to get."

Trump appeared to have shifted tone compared to last meeting with Zelenskyy, while the Ukrainian leader also offered similar praise of Trump,.. adding Ukraine is ready to buy more U.S. weapons.

Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.