The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025 (Lusa) - The prime minister said on Wednesday that Portugal is prepared to accept the conclusions that emerge from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit, which “marks a new phase” for the Atlantic Alliance due to new commitments on defence spending.
"Portugal is prepared to be part of a summit that marks a new phase, which guarantees the unity of the Atlantic Alliance and solidarity between Europe, the United States and Canada," said Luís Montenegro in statements to Portuguese journalists in the Dutch city of The Hague, where the second and final day of the NATO summit is taking place today.
The head of government responded to a question about whether Portugal would be prepared to “pay well” for defence investments, an expression that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte used in a message to US President Donald Trump, which the president released on Tuesday.
“[The commitment to defence] ensures that we can all continue to assure our citizens that their rights, freedoms and guarantees, are safeguarded, ensure our democracies function, and build a collective capacity to confront the threats that loom over us at various levels, not only from a territorial point of view, but also from a technological point of view,” said Montenegro, stressing the need for “solidarity” among allies.
According to Luís Montenegro, this summit will give rise to “a new ambition”.
“We will all have to make an effort and this is a significant milestone in assuming joint responsibility, particularly in Europe, to be able to maintain a level of investment commensurate with the major challenges we face to confront threats and assure European citizens, and the Portuguese the fulfilment of our democracy, the fundamental rights of citizens, and the possibility of continuing to be a sovereign nation,” he stressed.
Finally, Montenegro stressed that the summit’s final declaration “will make very clear the support for Ukraine in its search for a just and lasting peace.”
The 32 NATO leaders are meeting today at a summit to reaffirm their commitment to increase defence spending amid global geopolitical instability.
The allies are expected to commit to spending, in the coming years, 3.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on traditional military spending (armed forces, equipment and training) and an additional 1.5% of GDP on dual-use civilian and military infrastructure (such as cybersecurity, preparedness and strategic resilience), an increase on the current target of 2%.
In Portugal, the government announced that it would bring forward the target of 2% of GDP for defence to 2025.
In 2024, Portugal invested 1.58% of its GDP.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Paulo Rangel and Nuno Melo, represent Portugal.
ANE/ADB // ADB.
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