Rutte urged NATO countries to spend more than 2% of GDP on defense

NATO countries should start spending more than 2 percent of GDP on defense, alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte said Nov. 19 ahead of a meeting of European Union defense ministers.

"It is good that we have reached 2% [of GDP spending on defense] on the European side of NATO as a whole. But it is not enough. It is clearly not enough. So we also need to make sure that we spend more," he said in Brussels at a press approach, a transcript of which is published on NATO' s website.

Rutte also called for increased efforts in the defense industry. He said the alliance is working closely with the EU to strengthen the defense industrial complex "in the coming months."

The day before, Rutte thanked Romania for investing more than 2 percent of its GDP in defense. He also noted that the Romanian side hosts a NATO multinational battlegroup and provides troops for the alliance's missions.

Before that, on November 7, the alliance secretary general promised that in the future NATO countries will spend more than 2% of GDP on defense, as demanded by Donald Trump, who won the US presidential election. Rutte suggested a discussion on whether the new goal would be universal or different depending on the capabilities of each country.