Today marks the beginning of a pivotal NATO summit in The Hague, with 32 leaders in attendance and a critical agenda ahead. At the heart of the discussions is a push led by US President Donald Trump to raise defence spending commitments to 5% of GDP by 2035, a sharp increase from the current 2% guideline.
The updated Defence Investment Pledge (DIP) consists of two parts: 3.5% for strictly military expenditures and 1.5% for broader security-related investments such as infrastructure and industry. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has called for a fivefold increase in air defence capabilities, thousands more tanks and armoured vehicles, and millions of artillery shells to ensure the security of the Alliance’s one billion citizens.
In this tense context, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will highlight Greece’s longstanding commitment to NATO defence spending. Government sources confirm he will stress that “Greece consistently exceeded the 2% target, even during the years of severe economic hardship,” currently spending approximately 3% of its GDP on defence – the fifth-highest among member states.
Mitsotakis is also expected to outline Greece’s 12-year €25 billion armament program and underscore the country’s strategic role in the eastern Mediterranean, especially given growing instability in the Middle East and North Africa.
While no official meeting is scheduled between Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, diplomatic insiders suggest that a corridor exchange or an informal seated discussion could still occur, as has happened in previous summits. The prospect of such a tête-à-tête rekindles speculation over whether this could lay the groundwork for a new round of High-Level Cooperation Council talks between the two countries.
Last night, the leaders attended a gala dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in the 17th-century Orange Hall. According to reports, President Trump stayed not in a hotel, but at the royal Huis ten Bosch palace, where he had breakfast this morning with the Dutch monarch – a gesture rich in diplomatic symbolism.
As the summit unfolds, the future direction of NATO – and the commitment of its most powerful member – hangs in the balance, with Greece positioning itself as a stable and active pillar within the Alliance.
