NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the targets "describe exactly what capabilities allies need to invest in over the coming years … to keep our deterrence and defence strong and our 1 billion people safe."
The targets form the foundation of a new defence investment plan expected to be approved at NATO’s upcoming summit in The Hague, Netherlands, according to a report on NATO's website.
The plan calls for allies to invest 5 percent of GDP in defence, including 3.5 percent on core defence spending and 1.5 percent of GDP per year on defence- and security-related investment, such as infrastructure and resilience.
The NATO-Ukraine Council also met on Thursday, with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas joining the session.
After the meeting, Rutte reaffirmed the alliance's support for Ukraine, saying NATO members have pledged more than EUR 20 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine this year alone.
He also welcomed new pledges made during the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting on Wednesday.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, nato.int