Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that Canada and European allies are expected to allocate an additional $250 billion in defense spending over the next two years, AzerNEWS reports.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Rutte emphasized that European countries are accelerating the expansion of their military capabilities at an unprecedented pace. “The Europeans are building up their capabilities at an amazing speed, and within two years we will see an additional $250 billion in defense funding from Canada and Europe,” he said.

Rutte added that the main focus of the upcoming NATO summit, scheduled for July 7–8 in Ankara, will be the implementation of previously agreed commitments made at earlier meetings.

“The summit in The Hague a year ago was centered on pledges. This upcoming summit will focus on execution — particularly financing, strengthening the defense industrial base, and continued support for Ukraine,” he noted.

The announcement comes amid growing pressure on NATO members to increase defense budgets in response to evolving global security challenges. Analysts suggest that rising geopolitical tensions have pushed alliance members to prioritize rapid rearmament and long-term military-industrial cooperation, marking one of the most significant defense spending expansions in decades.