Spain's Defense Spending: A Strategic Shift

Spain has secured an agreement with NATO, allowing it to avoid the 5% of GDP defense spending target. This news emerged just before the upcoming NATO summit. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced this development. He emphasized that Spain's role and influence within NATO would remain strong, even with the exemption. Spain is committed to spending 2. 1% of its GDP on defense, which is a significant increase from the current 1. 28%. This figure is far from the 5% target but shows a commitment to boosting military expenditure. The exemption was formalized through letters exchanged between Sanchez and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The move comes after Sanchez informed Rutte that Spain could not meet the 5% target. This decision had the potential to disrupt the upcoming summit in The Hague. The summit is crucial, as it requires consensus from all 32 NATO member states for any new spending guidelines. Last year, Spain was the lowest spender in NATO, allocating only 1. 28% of its GDP to defense. In April, Sanchez announced plans to increase this to 2% this year. This decision faced criticism both domestically and from some allies. U. S. President Trump had previously criticized Spain for being a low contributor, stating that Spain needed to match the contributions of other nations. Sanchez believes that Europe should lead its own defense efforts, aligning with views expressed by Trump. However, he argues that reaching the 5% target is not feasible for Spain. This exemption allows Spain to focus on its own defense strategy while maintaining its NATO commitments.