By Susen Glunk

22/06/2025

 

Next week, on the 24th and 25th of June, NATO leaders will gather in The Hague for an important summit that’s meant to be more than just another high-level meeting. With war still raging on our doorstep in Ukraine, tensions rising globally and pressure mounting within the alliance itself, this summit is a serious moment, especially for Europe.

 

What’s Going on in The Hague?

The upcoming summit is a high-level gathering of heads of government, among whom the US President Donald Trump is expected to attend, defense ministers, and officials. They will all be travelling to the city of Mark Rutte, the current NATO Secretary General and former Dutch Prime Minister, making the choice of the venue somewhat less of a surprise. Approximately 9000 high-profile attendees are expected, for which the Dutch authorities have mobilized 27.000 police officers and 5.000 military agents, closing down a quarter of the city and advising the population to avoid the Randstad, which is the area where The Hague is located, counting over 8 million inhabitants.

Key topics will include:

  • Ongoing support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression
  • The increasingly tense situation in the Middle East, including the potential for NATO to invoke Article 5 if Iran were to attack the United States
  • Strengthening NATO’s overall defense and deterrence posture
  • The proposal for all member states to commit up to 5% of their GDP to defense spending
  • Addressing cybersecurity threats and the rise of hybrid warfare

 

It’s a chance for the allies to align their positions, but also to address the uncomfortable question that’s been looming around for years: is Europe doing its part?

 

Europe, It’s Time to Step Up

Let’s be honest: back at the NATO summit in Brussels in 2017, most of us thought Trump was simply exaggerating when he accused Europe of spending far too little on defense. But Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and the war now creeping closer to our own borders, has forced Europe to confront a hard truth: he may have had a point.

For far too long, many European NATO countries have underinvested in their own defense, relying heavily on the U.S. for security. However, that model no longer seems to work in the world we live in today. With an increasingly unpredictable president like Trump, American support may not always be guaranteed, and we can’t afford to be caught off guard.

Still, what felt like a stretch in 2017 has now become common sense: without the U.S., Europe is nowhere near ready to defend itself. Meeting the 5% defense spending target is therefore no longer just a symbolic goal but rather about making sure our countries are actually able to defend themselves and contributing to a stronger, more united European security. Especially now, with Russian aggression growing by the day, this is about being ready when it counts.

Nevertheless, looking ahead to the summit, we’re already seeing disagreements. Spain, for example, has already come out and called the spending target “unreasonable”, saying it has no plans to invest more. It’ll be interesting to see in the coming days whether Europe can find any common ground on this issue.

 

In a geopolitical landscape with ever-increasing uncertainty and new military conflicts erupting all over the world, it seems that the upcoming summit will be a moment of tough decisions. But what are the challenges that Europe is facing?

  • Europe must take its defense seriously. While committing to the 5% spending target demanded by Trump remains the main topic of the conference, not everyone has agreed yet. The member states in the neighborhood of Russia and its proxy Belarus, have already boosted their military capacities and defense spending in the past years, being on their way to the budget spending due to the immediate perceived threat. For countries like Spain on the other hand, where public spending and growth concerns are real, different timeframes might make sense. But the direction has to be clear: a stronger European defense posture, especially in how we show up alongside the U.S.
  • Defense spending needs to be smart and strategic. We should focus on investing in joint capabilities, modern infrastructure, cyber defense, and resilience, not just more weapons. That way, the whole of Europe can benefit in the long run and we make sure we’re moving forward with a common approach.
  • This is about values, not just budgets. If we want to protect democracy, freedom, and peace in Europe, we need to be ready to defend them when it really matters. At the same time, we have to stay clear-eyed about the role of the U.S. and make sure that, in case of emergency, we’re not fully dependent on them to defend ourselves.
  • Security needs Diplomacy, not tanks. While the debate currently focuses on increasing defense spending, we must not lose sight of what should remain Europe’s top priority: diplomacy and conflict prevention. Military deterrence may be necessary, but it must never become an end in itself.

 

The message is clear: If Europe wants to be taken seriously, it must act seriously. Let’s stop postponing the tough decisions. Let The Hague be the summit where Europe shows it’s ready to lead as a united force not just in words, but in action grounded in its values.

And above all, let us remember that history has shown us again and again where global arms races can lead. Building up weapons alone does not guarantee peace; it can make tensions worse if we don’t also work to resolve conflicts at their roots. That’s why policymakers must not allow the current push for higher defense budgets to come at the expense of peace diplomacy, development cooperation and crisis prevention.

 

 

Bibliography

Fritz, S. (2025, June 19). Rutte vor NATO-Gipfel: “Ich bin mir sicher, dass Deutschland liefern wird.” tagesschau.de. https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/nato-gipfel-rutte-ard-interview-100.html

 

Hockstader, L. (2025, June 19). NATO’s call to arms: Time to muscle up ‘at the speed of fear.’ The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/06/20/nato-summit-europe-russia-rutte/

 

Naishadham, S. & Cook, L. (2025, June 19). Spain rejects NATO’s 5% defense spending proposal | AP News. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/spain-nato-spending-increase-f9d105eb41d708acc78356599032b95a

 

NATO. (2025). 2025 NATO summit. NATO. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/235800.htm

 

Speck, U. (2025, June 20). Nato-Gipfel 2025: Was ist von Europa, Trump und Selenski zu erwarten? Neue Zürcher Zeitung. https://www.nzz.ch/pro/europa-hofft-vor-dem-nato-gipfel-auf-bilder-der-harmonie-ld.1889744