President Peter Pellegrini confirmed on Monday that Slovakia will support NATO's proposed increase in defence spending. Speaking at the Bucharest Nine (B9) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Pellegrini emphasized the importance of Europe taking a greater role in its own defence within NATO.
"We need to strengthen the European pillar in NATO. Slovakia will support the increase in defence spending to 3.5 percent, plus an additional 1.5 percent of GDP," the President stated.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently proposed that member states raise their defence spending to 5 percent of GDP, with 3.5 percent allocated directly to defence and 1.5 percent earmarked for related infrastructure investments. This could include strategic projects such as bridges, railways, and ports, which are critical for military purposes.
Alongside the B9 leaders, representatives from the Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland—will attend the summit at Lithuania's invitation. NATO Secretary General Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also take part in the talks.
Source: TASR
