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Greek PM says all NATO members should commit to defense spending target

Greece spends 3% of its GDP on defense
Published 25 Jun, 2025 03:11pm
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives at a dinner for NATO heads of states and government hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. REUTERS
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives at a dinner for NATO heads of states and government hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. REUTERS

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday that all 32 members of the NATO alliance should do their part in defense spending and commit to the agreed target so that there would be no sense of “free-riding”.

NATO members agreed in principle on Sunday to boost their defense spending target to 5% of gross domestic product, as demanded by US President Donald Trump, but Spain said it could meet its commitments without spending so much.

“The point of an alliance is to make sure that there is a fair burden-sharing and that there is no sense that certain countries are sort of free-riding on the defense commitment of other countries,” Mitsotakis said as a NATO summit began in The Hague.

“So I think it is important to understand that these targets should be binding and they should be binding for all 32 members of the alliance.”

Greece is now spending about 3% of its gross domestic product on defense - nearly double the average in the EU.

It has asked the European Commission to exempt its 2026 defense spending from the EU’s budget rules as part of the so-called fiscal escape clause as it aims to spend 25 billion euros ($29 billion) by 2036 under a to modernise its armed forces and as it tries to keep pace with its eastern neighbour and historical rival Turkey.

Donald Trump

United States

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Greece

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