An internal rift over defense spending and President Trump’s disregard for Ukraine have lowered expectations for the gathering.

World leaders are gathering in the Netherlands for the start of a historic two-day NATO summit that could unite the world’s biggest security organization around a new defense spending pledge or widen

The U.S. and other world leaders are preparing for NATO’s 2025 summit where a new defense spending pledge will be negotiated.

Nato members are currently expected to spend 2% of their national income, or GDP on defence. The US and countries which are close to Russia - such as Poland and the Baltic states - have traditionally spent the most on defence. It is thought that 23 countries met the 2% target in 2024, compared to only three in 2014.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that NATO was on a path of rampant militarisation and bent on portraying Russia as a "fiend of hell" in order to justify committing to a big increase in member states' defence spending.

Spain agreed with the NATO military alliance to be excluded from spending 5% of its gross domestic product on defence, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday.