**NATO Members to Meet 2% Defense Spending Benchmark in 2025**
The head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Secretary General Mark Rutte, announced on June 17 that all 32 member states are on track to meet the alliance’s defense spending benchmark of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025. This milestone marks a significant shift for the alliance, which has faced criticism from US President Donald Trump in the past for not meeting its spending commitments.
**A Major Victory for NATO**
The announcement is a major victory for NATO, as it shows that member states are committed to investing more in their defense capabilities. The US president had long pushed NATO members to spend more on defense, and at one point even suggested raising the threshold to 5% of GDP. Rutte praised Canada and Portugal, the last two holdouts, for meeting the target.
**Ukraine’s Invitation to NATO Summit**
The announcement comes ahead of the June 24-25 NATO summit in The Hague, where Ukraine has been invited as a guest country. However, there is uncertainty over whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the summit without a confirmed meeting with Trump. Some in Kyiv are questioning whether Zelensky’s presence would be worthwhile without a meeting with the US president.
**Russia’s War Against Ukraine**
The situation in Ukraine remains dire, with Russian forces launching 58 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against the country overnight. Ukrainian defenses shot down 12 drones, while 18 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems. The attack killed at least 23 people and injured 134 others.
**Increased Military Support for Ukraine**
Despite the challenges faced by Ukraine, President Zelensky has announced that the G7 summit had produced concrete results for the country, including increased military support, new tranches of aid using frozen Russian assets, and additional sanctions targeting the sources of Russia’s war effort. The European Union and its allies are also ready to toughen sanctions on Russia.
**A Shift in NATO’s Focus**
The announcement marks a shift in NATO’s focus towards preparing for potential future threats, including Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Many NATO members have cited Russia’s aggression as a reason to accelerate defense spending and prepare for potential future conflicts.
Overall, the announcement that all 32 NATO member states are on track to meet the 2% defense spending benchmark by 2025 is a significant milestone for the alliance. However, the situation in Ukraine remains fragile, and it remains to be seen whether the increased military support and sanctions announced at the G7 summit will have an impact on the conflict.
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