NATO leaders are gathering in the Netherlands for the start of a historic two-day summit that could unite the world’s biggest security organization around a new defense spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 allies.

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

U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts are gathering this week for what might be a historic summit

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.

NATO members agreed on Sunday to the 5% of gross domestic product target, a big increase in their defence spending, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe take more responsibility for its own security.

Former U.S. ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison on the Iranian nuclear threat and the focus of the NATO summit.

NATO is in turmoil just as the military alliance confronts the deadliest conflict on its doorstep since World War II.