Latvian President announced on the 25th (local time) that the country will increase its defense budget to 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2028, according to Polish local media such as TVP.
According to reports, Edgars Rink?vi?s, the President of Latvia, made the announcement after meeting with President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, Poland. Latvia, which borders Russia, currently has a defense budget equivalent to 3.45% of its GDP this year.
President Rink?vi?s commented on the NATO member countries' defense spending target, which is currently 2% of GDP, saying, "3% is the minimum, and 3.5% is a debatable figure," adding, "However, countries facing direct threats should consider higher expenditures."
Along with Latvia, the other Baltic states bordering Russia?Lithuania and Estonia?have also pledged to increase their defense budgets. Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus?da stated last month that "from 2026 to 2030, we have decided to allocate an amount equivalent to 5-6% of GDP to defense," and Estonia plans to raise its defense budget from 3.43% of GDP last year to over 4% next year.
Meanwhile, recently, U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressuring NATO allies to raise their defense spending to around 5% of GDP. NATO is expected to agree on a new target at the summit scheduled for June.
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