Slovakia to meet NATO defence budget target by 2022
Slovakia will increase its military budget to the NATO target of 2% of gross domestic product by 2022, 2 years earlier than planned, President Zuzana Caputova told NATO officials in Brussels on 25th June.
‘In relation to the 2% of GDP, we are pleased to achieve this target even earlier, in 2022 - that is 2 years earlier’ than previously stated, Caputova said, quoted by Slovak media in Brussels following talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Slovakia, a NATO and eurozone member state of 5.4 million people, currently spends 1.73% of its GDP on defence, according to the 2019 state budget.
Slovakia had earlier committed to reach NATO's recommended 2% of GDP military spending target in 2024.
NATO member states agreed to the spending target in 2014.
Bratislava will spend nearly €900 million ($1.02 billion) on defence in 2019, the finance ministry said.
Defence Ministry state secretary Robert Ondrejcsak told AFP on 25th June that most of this budget will be spent on a comprehensive modernisation of the country's army.
‘We will soon get rid of technical dependence on Russia,’ he said.
Ondrejcsak was referring to Slovakia's current dependence on Russian military hardware, a legacy of its past in the Communist bloc before 1989.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up]()
Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up
The company’s Q1 2025 results showed a 20% increase in new orders and a 15% increase in revenue across the business.
-
![Rheinmetall vehicle sales almost double as European companies see continued growth]()
Rheinmetall vehicle sales almost double as European companies see continued growth
Results for Q1 2025 have been strong across the board for many defence companies in Europe with forward-looking statements and predictions for the full year also looking good.
-
![Why is the defence market “exploding exponentially” for autonomous targeting capabilities?]()
Why is the defence market “exploding exponentially” for autonomous targeting capabilities?
Solutions that identify, engage and destroy targets with minimal or no human intervention are becoming critical on tomorrow’s battlefield.
-
![Companies post mostly rosy results but warn of potential dark clouds]()
Companies post mostly rosy results but warn of potential dark clouds
First quarter 2025 results have been dropping for companies in the past week but many of the US results come with a health warning in their forward-looking aspects about the potential impact of actions by the Trump administration.
-
![Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan]()
Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan
The new plan outlined how Spain would reach 2% of its GDP spend on defence by 2025, with €1.9 billion earmarked for new equipment acquisition with several land, naval and air platforms disclosed to be replaced or upgraded.
-
![New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia]()
New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
