NATO ‘very close’ to consensus on 5% spending target: US defence chief

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Thursday that NATO allies were close to agreeing a deal on defence spending to satisfy President Donald Trump’s demand for five percent of GDP.

“Countries in there are well exceeding two percent and we think very close, almost near consensus, on a five percent commitment for NATO in The Hague later this month,” Hegseth said after meeting NATO counterparts in Brussels.

“There are a few countries that are not quite there yet. I won’t name any names. We don’t — it’s amongst friends in that room. We’ll get them there,” he said.