NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not participate in this text, however Mark Rutte did.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told European members to “stop complaining” and present solutions during a speech at the Munich Security Conference. He said that NATO will reach a new agreement on defense spending targets by June, with targets exceeding 2% of GDP.
Rutte stated that NATO members should come up with concrete ideas instead of just complaining about being sidelined. This comes as the alliance faces growing divisions between the US and Europe over military spending.
US Senator Lindsey Graham said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had done more to help NATO than its member states, which has galvanized increases in military spending. Graham also criticized Trump’s 5% target for NATO contributions, stating it is unrealistic.
NATO data estimates that 23 members met the 2% GDP target in 2024, up from six in 2018. However, major economic powers such as Canada and Italy are among the laggards below the contribution threshold.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/15/natos-rutte-tells-europe-to-stop-complaining-come-up-with-concrete-ideas.html