NATO defense ministers agreed Thursday to significantly increase air defenses and land forces to fend off Russia — which means a dramatic boost in military spending in the coming years.
The ministers approved an overall increase of 30 percent in new requirements for military equipment — called capability targets — ahead of a summit of alliance leaders in The Hague later this month. […]
It’s the first time since the Cold War that capability targets have been linked to actual regional defense plans. The details are classified, but Rutte previously said that priorities include air and missile defense, large formations of land forces, long-range capabilities and logistics. […]
To reach the capability targets approved on Thursday, NATO leaders are expected to agree to boost defense spending to 5 percent of GDP at The Hague — including 3.5 percent on purely military expenditures and 1.5 percent for defense-related items such as military mobility, Rutte told reporters. Läs artikel