All NATO members unanimously agree on the necessity of significantly boosting defense spending, and Montenegro is no exception, announced Defense Minister Dragan Krapović.

He stated that a new set of objectives and capabilities was adopted today, describing it as “a very demanding and ambitious package, directly related to future defense expenditures.”

“I mentioned that Montenegro will adapt and maintain credible membership by adhering to and implementing all summit decisions. It’s evident that a considerably larger budget will be allocated for defense across all member states, including Montenegro,” Krapović said in a video circulated by the Ministry of Defense on Facebook.

“Today we engaged in several discussions… The first session focused on the transformation of the Alliance and its ambitious agenda to address emerging geopolitical circumstances. In this context, we primarily discussed strengthening the Alliance’s deterrence and defense posture, and the military leadership of the Alliance outlined what needs to be accomplished to realize the full effectiveness of our deterrence and defense strategies,” he added.

Krapović emphasized that alongside the Ministry of Defense’s efforts to enhance allocations and fully implement the package, a comprehensive approach from the entire Government is essential, particularly from the Ministry of Finance, as these goals cannot be realized without it.

“Overall, I am pleased with today’s discussions and believe we are moving towards a successful summit in The Hague, which will undoubtedly fortify the Alliance’s position and promote a fairer burden-sharing. Our American allies are correct in emphasizing the importance of European defense, and I believe Europe will allocate more resources for defense in the near future,” the minister said.

NATO ministers have reached agreement on “ambitious new military capability goals,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated yesterday, emphasizing that allies “must invest in the coming years to ensure our defense and deterrence remains strong, keeping our billion citizens safe.”

“I will put forward a comprehensive investment plan totaling 5% of GDP for defense—3.5% for core defense spending and 1.5% per year for security and defense investments, including infrastructure and industry,” Rutte outlined after a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

However, he noted that “reaching an agreement on our needs was a vital first step towards addressing them,” while funding decisions are expected to follow at the upcoming summit in The Hague later this month. Rutte, as reported by Reuters, added that “the summit declaration will center around defense spending, the defense industry, and support for Ukraine, although discussions are ongoing and the final version has yet to be finalized.”

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