The recent NATO summit has been deemed a significant success by the Trump administration, with U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker asserting that the alliance is becoming stronger and more capable due to President Trump's sustained pressure on allies to increase defense spending. Whitaker stated in an interview that the summit demonstrated Trump's long-standing efforts are yielding positive results, leading to a NATO that is increasingly equalizing with the United States in defense capabilities.
Whitaker indicated that not all allies are progressing at the same pace, and he closely monitors each nation's commitment. Allies have agreed to boost defense spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product by 2035, a substantial increase from the alliance's previous 2% benchmark. According to Whitaker, nearly $150 billion in additional defense spending has been committed by allies over the past year, with growing initiatives to expand European defense production.
The administration views this shift as a move toward a model where Europe takes on greater responsibility for its own defense, allowing the U.S. to reallocate resources to other global priorities. Whitaker highlighted Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Greece, and Turkey for their aggressive increases in defense spending. He also identified Spain, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom as countries requiring closer attention.
Spain, in particular, faced criticism from President Trump during the summit for initially resisting the new spending target and for issues related to U.S. access to Spanish bases and airspace for operations against Iran. Whitaker expressed confidence that Spain would ultimately meet its commitments, noting its economic capacity to support increased defense spending.
European officials, while acknowledging progress, recognize that achieving the new defense capabilities will require sustained political will, expanded industrial capacity, and difficult budget decisions over several years. The summit also coincided with a review of the U.S. force posture in Europe, which has raised questions among allies, especially those on NATO's eastern flank, about the implications of greater burden-sharing for the future U.S. military presence. The administration contends that this review is directly linked to burden-sharing, suggesting that increased European responsibility could lead to a reassessment of U.S. troop deployments.
Whitaker emphasized that the debate over burden-sharing now extends beyond spending figures to encompass the actual military capabilities allies are expected to field. Germany's announced plans to acquire U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles were cited as an example of efforts to close defense capability gaps. The U.S. ambassador stressed an "all-of-the-above approach" for building capabilities, including frigates, air defense systems, deep strike capabilities, tanks, and drones, all of which require increased manufacturing capacity.
The summit also underscored a focus on expanding defense production across the alliance. Announcements included provisions for Ukraine to establish domestic Patriot missile production and plans for a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile sustainment facility in Europe. Agreements also covered expanded European production of Army Tactical Missile Systems, Stinger missiles, and other air defense systems through partnerships between U.S. and European defense firms. The White House has characterized these developments as indicative of a new "NATO 3.0" model, aiming to strengthen the alliance while stimulating demand for American defense manufacturers. More than $3 billion in defense agreements and joint ventures announced during the summit are expected to support U.S. industry and enhance Europe's capacity to produce critical military capabilities domestically.