Trump’s Demand at NATO Summit on Defense Spending, Spain’s Thorn, and Possible Mitsotakis-Erdoğan Meeting

All eyes are on The Hague today during the NATO summit, which takes place under the shadow of escalating tensions in the Middle East. Although the agenda focuses on increasing defense spending by member states, allies will undoubtedly need to align on a common approach regarding the Israel-Iran conflict and rising tensions in the Middle East. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to emphasize NATO’s role amid growing global uncertainty and highlight regional and international security threats. A key issue at the summit is updating the Defense Investment Pledge (DIP) to 5% of GDP by 2035, as demanded by former U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Spain’s refusal to comply with this demand has created tension within NATO. Greece, already exceeding the 2% target due to its challenging neighborhood, opposes differentiated approaches among allies. Meanwhile, there are reports of a possible brief encounter between Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the summit.