Czech president Pavel: all NATO members back 5% defense spending goal

President Petr Pavel, representing Czechia at the NATO summit in The Hague, announced that all alliance members have agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP within ten years. Despite earlier hesitation from countries like Spain, no state ultimately opposed the plan. “It’s not about reaching a number on paper. Victory depends on real capabilities delivered on time,” Pavel said. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (Civic Democratic Party) confirmed Czechia is ready to meet the target, which allocates 3.5% to the military and 1.5% to broader security needs. Czech priorities include building two fully equipped brigades and boosting air defense through the purchase of U.S.-made F-35 jets.