The Hague Summit: the Birth of a Stronger, Fairer and More Resilient Alliance
Abstract
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding in Washington. A few months later, on 1 October 2024, a new era began in the Alliance with Secretary General Mark Rutte replacing Jens Stoltenberg at the head of the NATO. The past year was defined not only by the leadership of the new Secretary General but by new challenges too. After the US presidential election, Mark Rutte, a pragmatic and representative of Realpolitik, became a champion of increasing the defence budget. The present paper reviews and assesses the road to the Hague Summit and the key decisions that shaped the future of the Alliance. The objective of the summit was to build a stronger, fairer and more resilient NATO. The Hague Summit focused on five keys issues: a significant increase in defence spending; a new defence investment plan; enhancing the defence industrial base and production capabilities; further strengthening partnerships, particularly with Asia–Pacific partners and the European Union; and providing continued and long-term support for Ukraine.
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