Military

Norway Ready for NATO Build-Up: Plans to Increase Defense Budget to Record Levels

Norway’s Prime Minister supports a significant increase in NATO countries’ defense spending, warning of the most serious security situation since World War II.

Norwegian Army, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Norwegian Army, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mikkel Preisler
By Mikkel Preisler 20. June 2025

Norway is making a significant move in its security policy by declaring support for NATO’s ambitious goal of increasing defense budgets to as much as 5%.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre made a clear announcement at a recent press conference, emphasizing the seriousness of the current international security situation.

New target divided into classic defense and hybrid threats

The new target, presented by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, involves Norway and other member countries allocating expenses with 3.5% to classic defense, which includes personnel, investments, preparedness, and support for Ukraine, while the remaining 1.5% should cover defense-related expenditures such as securing and developing critical infrastructure, digital threats, and combating disinformation.

Prime Minister Støre emphasized the importance of including these new areas, pointing out that threats increasingly appear in hybrid forms.

Record levels amid the most serious situation since World War II

According to Støre, Norway currently spends about 3.2% of its GDP on defense, including support for Ukraine. For 2024, NATO’s latest estimate stands at 2.2%.

The exact details of when member countries should achieve the new 5% target have not yet been definitively established and will be further discussed in the coming weeks.

The Norwegian Prime Minister also warned, according to The Guardian, that the country is in “the most serious security situation since World War II,” specifically referring to new risks arising from the crisis in the Middle East.

NATO countries need to step up

With Norway’s declaration of support for the new ambitious NATO goal, the country puts pressure on other member nations to increase their defense budgets.

Støre made it clear that Norway will be among those leading this security policy push, which now seems more necessary than ever.

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