NATO Secretary General Rutte's Statement Ahead of the Ankara Summit

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made significant statements ahead of the NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara. Rutte stated that the defense and security expenditures of NATO allies in Europe and Canada have reached approximately 4% of their gross domestic product (GDP), and he expects countries to announce concrete plans to achieve the 5% target at the Ankara Summit.Rutte noted that European allies and Canada increased their core defense expenditures by about 20% last year, with an additional $258 billion invested in defense in 2025 and 2026.Rutte emphasized that the trend continues, and countries are committed to increasing their defense expenditures.Recalling that NATO leaders agreed to increase defense expenditures to 5% of GDP by 2035 at last year's summit, Rutte stated that 3.5% of this target will be allocated to core defense investments and the remaining 1.5% to other security-related areas.Rutte expressed his expectation that Allied countries will present clear commitments to achieve the new target at the Ankara Summit, saying: 'In Ankara, I expect countries to present open, concrete, and reliable plans to achieve the 5% target. The picture we have seen so far is quite impressive.'Rutte also announced that new defense contracts worth tens of billions of dollars will be announced at a forum with defense industry representatives on Tuesday.