US EditionSpain Rejects NATO’s Anticipated 5% Defense Spending Proposal as 'Unreasonable'
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a letter on June 19, 2025, rejecting NATO's proposed 5% GDP defense spending target ahead of the June 24-25 summit in The Hague.
- Sánchez requested a more flexible formula to opt out, citing political difficulties and opposition from far-left coalition partners to higher defense spending.
- Spain had the lowest NATO defense spending at 1.28% of GDP last year and plans to raise its budget by 10.5 billion euros to meet the 2% target.
- A senior European official said, "It doesn't look good, indeed, but we are not over yet," reflecting ongoing debate amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine since 2022.
- Spain's rejection signals summit tensions and concerns about EU defense autonomy and fragile domestic politics amid NATO’s push for increased military investment.
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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