Hegseth called NATO's decision to allocate 5% of GDP to defense a "historic moment."

The 32 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) promised to increase defense spending and allocate 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) for this, which became a "historic moment." This was announced on June 26 by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

"32 NATO countries have committed to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, this concerns real investments in NATO. Therefore, I hope that all your media will take the time to properly assess this historic change in matters of continental security," he said during a briefing to reporters.

According to Hegseth, media representatives often miss important points, including the increase in defense spending. He stressed that US President Donald Trump's plan to increase spending "changed the rules of the game and became a historic event" for the alliance.

In addition, German Foreign Minister Johan Vadefuhl noted that the decision of NATO members to increase spending would strengthen the alliance in the field of defense. According to him, this step will be a sign of "unity and the ability to act." Vadefoul also added that the implementation of this plan will be possible thanks to legislative changes that will allow the countries that are part of the alliance to invest in defense on a completely new scale.

"[We are doing this] not because we want to do anyone a favor, but because it is necessary for our safety," he concluded.

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On June 25, it was reported that NATO members pledged to allocate 5% of their GDP to defense by 2035. It is specified that they are going to allocate funds to finance basic defense needs, as well as to achieve NATO's potential targets.

On June 5, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte officially proposed to raise the level of military spending of the countries of the military alliance to 5% of their GDP. According to him, 3.5% of GDP will be spent on basic defense spending, and 1.5% on additional security—related expenses.