NATO foreign ministers convened in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya over two days this month, working through the final points of contention before the alliance's leaders meet in The Hague.
A new floor for defense spending
Secretary General Mark Rutte used the gathering to press the case for raising NATO's defense-spending floor, telling ministers directly that the alliance's longstanding 2-percent-of-GDP target no longer reflects the threat environment. He called instead for heavier investment in military infrastructure, resilience and defense production — spending, he argued, that actually closes NATO's capability gaps rather than just satisfying a budget line.
Ukraine's position stayed on the agenda throughout. Rutte told ministers that allied support would need to continue regardless of how any peace negotiations play out, treating the two questions — spending targets and Ukraine — as inseparable heading into The Hague.