US EditionNATO countries approve Hague summit statement with 5% defence spending goal, diplomats say
- On June 22, 2025, NATO member states met in The Hague for a two-day summit to approve a defense spending pledge raising targets to 5% of GDP.
- The new 5% spending goal, advocated by US President Donald Trump to counter threats from Russia and China, follows years of pressure on allies to increase their defense budgets.
- Spain, traditionally one of the lowest spenders, signed the pledge despite Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez insisting Madrid will not meet the 5% target but will maintain spending at 2.1% of GDP to avoid social service cuts.
- In correspondence addressed to NATO leader Mark Rutte, Sanchez argued that increasing defense expenditure to 5% of GDP is both impractical and counterproductive, emphasizing that Spain can meet all its NATO obligations by allocating 2.1% of its GDP to defense.
- The agreement reconciles NATO members’ sovereignty on defense budgets, allowing Spain leeway while representing a significant overall boost in collective military spending unseen since the Cold War.
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Spain and NATO Agree: Madrid Will NOT Spend 5% of GDP in Defense - Deal Comes as Dispute Threatened To Derail Alliance’s Next Week Summit
Failing Sanchez got his way with NATO’s Rutte. While failing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is under fire domestically, trying to quell the political unrest caused by the manifold corruption scandals, he did manage to obtain a victory in his defense policy ahead of next week’s NATO summit. The socialist leader is dealing with the fallout of corruption investigations involving his wife, his brother, and also of ministers and party officials…
NATO's Defense Spending Dilemma: Spain's Stand Against a New 5% GDP Target
NATO members agreed to increase their defense spending target to 5% of GDP, as demanded by President Trump. However, Spain refused to comply, citing potential social spending cuts. A compromise statement, allowing flexibility, was reached just days before a summit in The Hague.
MADRID (AP) — Spain has reached an agreement with NATO to be excluded from the 5% of GDP defense spending target, days before the alliance's leaders are scheduled to meet at a summit, the…
Spain has agreed with the North Atlantic Alliance to opt out of the requirement to spend 5% of GDP on defense.
The ok of NATO secretary Mark Rutte. Sanchez: " 5% is disproportionate, we maintain our operational capacity"
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