As expected, on Thursday 5 June the defence ministers of the Allied countries adopted a new set of capability goals (see EUROPE 13653/19).
“We agreed on an ambitious new set of capability targets and this is so important. These targets describe exactly what capabilities allies need to invest in over the coming years: air defence, fighter jets, tanks, drones, personnel, logistics, and so much more”, summarised NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the end of the meeting. And he emphasised that: “All this is necessary to maintain the strength of our deterrent and our defence, as well as the security of our one billion inhabitants”.
These capability goals are derived from the set of operational plans approved at the Vilnius Summit two years ago. Each minister has individually approved “the capability goals that have been allocated to each nation according to the role they will play in the operational plans”, explained a senior NATO official.
“So we come up this time around with a 30% increase base compared to the last capability targets” decided in 2021, explained this senior official, adding that the Allies had currently achieved between 60 and 80% of the 2021 objectives. The objectives have a 20-year timeframe, with targets for the short - 5 to 10 years -, medium and long term. These targets will be reviewed every four years.
Close to an agreement on the 5%. “To meet capability needs, the Allies will have to invest much more in defence”, said Mr Rutte, adding that a new defence investment plan would have to be agreed at the Hague summit scheduled for the end of the month.
Speaking to the media, the Secretary General confirmed that he would be proposing to the leaders of the allied countries “an overall investment plan that will total 5% of GDP on defence investment, with 3.5% of GDP for core defence spending. This is based on the cost to meet the new capability targets that ministers have just agreed and 1.5% of GDP per year in defence and security-related investments”, particularly in infrastructure and industry (see EUROPE 13637/28).
Although 2032 is being circulated as the deadline for achieving the targets, Mr Rutte did not want to confirm this and, unlike the plan decided in 2014 in Wales, which only gave a final target, and in order to avoid countries making the necessary efforts only at the last moment, the Secretary General announced that the Nations would commit “to respecting annual plans indicating the increase in each target in order to guarantee the achievement of the new 5% target”.
The American Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisted on this 5%. “We believe that a consensus is close, or even that we are close to a consensus, on a 5% commitment for NATO in The Hague later this month”, he explained after the meeting. “Some countries are not quite there yet [...] We will get them there”, he added, refusing to name the Allies in question.
Once again, the Spanish minister, Margarita Robles, rejected the 5% figure (see EUROPE 13644/8), saying that the current 2% was “sufficient to meet the responsibilities we have undertaken to assume”. “The important thing is that each country should be able to achieve the targets it has set itself”, she added.
Alexus G. Grynkewich, the American future SACEUR. Finally, the NATO Secretary General announced that the previous day the North Atlantic Council had approved the appointment of Lieutenant General Alexus G. Grynkewich, US Air Force, as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). Currently Director of Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mr Grynkewich is due to take up his post in the summer of 2025, replacing General Christopher G. Cavoli of the US Army. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)