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Spain Rejects NATO’s Anticipated 5% Defense Spending Proposal as 'Unreasonable'
- On June 19, 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to NATO chief Mark Rutte rejecting the proposed 5% defense spending target ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.
- Sánchez argued that the 5% target was unreasonable and counterproductive, citing Spain’s internal political challenges and concerns about EU defense production reliance.
- Spain spent less than 2% of GDP on defense last year, the lowest among NATO’s 32 members, and plans to increase spending by 10.5 billion euros in 2025 to meet the previous 2% target.
- Defence expert Flix Arteaga noted Spain’s geographic distance from Russia reduces urgency, and Minister Robles affirmed Spain will not veto the summit outcome while remaining a constructive ally.
- Spain’s rejection risks NATO unity as most allies back higher spending due to security concerns after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with the summit aiming to set new defense investment goals.
106 Articles
106 Articles
Karoline Leavitt, spokesman for the White House, said on Wednesday that President Trump hopes that all European countries, including Spain, "comply with their commitments and reach the 5% of GDP threshold in defense spending." The statement comes after the Spanish government has recently informed NATO that it will not achieve that goal. Spain has committed itself to reaching 2%, but has made it clear that it will remain below the 5% unilaterally…
In a letter to NATO chief Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez writes that the norm is "incompatible with our vision of the world".
Spain Says No to NATO’s Big Defense Spending Hike
Spain has told NATO it will not agree to spend 5% of its economy on defense, even though its economy is one of the strongest in Europe right now. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made this clear in a letter to NATO’s leader, saying the new target is too high and would hurt Spain’s finances. Right […]
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