In 2025, Europe and Canada's defence spending increased by 20% compared to 2024. – We have made crucial advancement [...]. NATO is stronger present than ever," said Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the Alliance. Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that in the summary study last year Poland is the leader in defence spending. In the following years, there will be even more investment.
‘Over 4% of GDP in 2025 – the highest level among all allies according to NATO report. This is not an accident, it is simply a consequence of consequences and liable approach to security," said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish after the presentation of the study by the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Alliance. ‘We are not slowing down. This year we increase the pace – more resources, more investment, the stronger Polish Army”, announced the head of the MON in social media.
According to the NATO Secretary-General's yearly report, in 2025, each of the allies spent 2% of GDP or more on defence for the first time, i.e. reaching or exceeding the goal set by the Alliance in 2014. Emphasising this, Mark Rutte praised NATO members for their determined consequence to changing safety conditions. "For a long time, European allies and Canada have been overly dependent on the American military power. We didn't take adequate work for our own safety. However, there has been a real change in the way we think," said the head of the Alliance. “As a European, I am arrogant of what we are doing,” he added.
Rutte pointed out that European allies and Canada took a crucial step forward, spending 20% more on defence last year than in 2024. At the same time, he recalled that during last year NATO summit in The Hague associate States agreed to increase their investment in defence to 5% of GDP. This nonsubjective is to be achieved by all by 2035, although Lithuania already intends to spend 5.38% of GDP on armaments this year, and Poland over 4.8%.
The Secretary-General discussed the yearly study besides referred to milestones from the historical year for the Alliance. Rutte mentioned the start of the operation "Baltic Sentry” (Baltic Guard) to strengthen protection against threats to maritime infrastructure, and “Eastern Sentry” — The east Guard, which further reinforced allied deterrence on the east flank of NATO.
At the end of the conference, Mark Rutte stressed the importance of allied support for Ukraine in 2025, saying that NATO and Ukraine's safety are "closely linked". He besides praised the effects of JATEC (the first NATO-Ukraine joint centre) and the list of precedence needs of Ukraine (PURL), which provides US military equipment worth billions of euros, funded by allies and partners. According to the NATO Secretary-General, this shows the sustained and consistent support of the West for Ukraine and the belief that its defence has a direct impact on the safety of the full region.
