Lithuanian president warned of possible NATO breakup

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that NATO could face disintegration if alliance member countries fail to reach the target military spending level of 5% of GDP. This was reported by the newspaper Politico.

"It would be highly controversial or contradictory if some countries tried to do more and achieved this goal in the coming years, while others hesitated, say, at the level of 2 or 2.5%. This would naturally divide the alliance into two or three parts," the publication quotes him.

NATO leaders at the summit held in June 2025 in The Hague, at the suggestion of Washington, agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Of these 5%, NATO countries will have to spend 3.5% of GDP on actual military needs — purchases of weapons and provision for their armed forces. Another 1.5% of GDP they will have to direct toward investments related to defense and security, including the development of logistics, ensuring military mobility, and other areas.