NATO to greenlight targets to buy more military kit as part of a major defense spending hike

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(5 Jun 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Brussels, Belgium - 5 June 2025 1. Various of NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte arriving 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General: "Today we decide on the capability targets. From there you will assess the gaps we have, not only to be able to defend ourselves today, but also three, five, seven years from now. And all these investments have to be financed, and that is what we will do in The Hague. So this is really a two-step approach, today, the capability targets, that will inform you, give you the rooting, let's say the basis to build on to have a strong discussion on spending which is then rooted in the decisions we take today with the defense ministers." 3. Cameraman 4. Rutte leaving STORYLINE: NATO defense ministers are set on Thursday to endorse targets for buying more weapons and military equipment to better defend Europe, the Arctic and North Atlantic as part of a U.S. push to ramp up security spending. The “capability targets” lay out plans for each of the 32 nations to purchase priority equipment like air and missile defense systems, artillery, ammunition, drones and “strategic enablers” such as air-to-air refueling, heavy air transport and logistics. “Today we decide on the capability targets. From there, we will assess the gaps we have, not only to be able to defend ourselves today, but also three, five, seven years from now,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said. “All these investments have to be financed,” he told reporters before chairing the meeting at NATO’s Brussels headquarters. U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts meet on June 24-25 to agree new military spending targets. The targets are assigned by NATO based on a blueprint agreed in 2023 – the military organization’s biggest planning shakeup since the Cold War – to defend its territory from an attack by Russia or another major adversary. Under the plans, NATO would aim to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days, although experts suggest the allies would struggle to muster those kinds of numbers. The member countries are assigned roles in defending NATO territory across three major zones – the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. AP video shot by Mark Carlson =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/b5d6166d41ce4fbfa9ad27a4b8eb49b2