Nausėda: NATO risks fracture if members fail to hit 5% defense spending target

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda warned on Friday in Berlin that NATO risks fracturing if some member states fail to meet the alliance's target of spending 5% of gross domestic product on defense. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Latvian and Estonian counterparts and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Nausėda said it would be highly controversial if some countries reach that target while others fluctuate around 2% or 2.5%. This would naturally split the alliance into two or three parts, harming collective defense spirit and solidarity.

NATO allies, except Spain, agreed at last year's summit in The Hague to spend 5% of GDP on defense by 2035. However, most European countries currently spend far below that level and face fiscal constraints, making it unclear how many will meet the target. The Baltic states — Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — are among Europe's biggest defense spenders relative to their economic output.

The Baltic leaders met with Merz in Berlin to coordinate positions ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara. A key priority is convincing U.S. President Donald Trump that Europe is doing enough to boost defense spending, amid concerns Trump could weaken U.S. commitment or penalize laggards. Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that the U.S. spends far more on NATO than any other country without benefit, singling out Germany's defense spending as "Ridiculous!"

Asked about this post on Friday, Merz said Germany is making progress toward the NATO target, which Berlin has pledged to reach by 2029. "Germany is doubling its defense budget within four years," Merz said. "This is the greatest effort we have ever made to strengthen our defense capabilities. In that regard, we have nothing to hide from anyone."