Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store backed NATO’s proposed defense spending goal increase as member nations prepare to meet at The Hague next week.

At a press conference Friday, Mr. Store said the security situation in Europe has forced NATO members to get more serious about their own defense.

“The world has become more dangerous and unpredictable, and Europe must take a bigger responsibility for its own security,” he said.

The proposal would require member nations to increase their defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product. Current NATO regulations require members to contribute 2%, a threshold only a few countries meet.

The proposal, spearheaded by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, would divide member nations’ contributions into classic defense spending (3.5%) and defense-related spending (1.5%).

Mr. Store said Norway has already committed over 3% of its GDP to defense if its contributions to Ukraine’s defense are counted.

He didn’t provide extensive details on how Norway would meet the spending target but said he and his ministers will reveal a more concrete plan in the coming weeks.

Most NATO members are set to endorse the defense spending increase at the summit, which runs Tuesday and Wednesday. However, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday rejected the proposal as “unreasonable.”

Spain had expressed support for greater defense spending, and Mr. Sanchez announced a new domestic defense spending package earlier this year.

The demand that NATO countries increase their contributions to their defense came from President Trump, who has long insisted that member nations pay their fair share.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.