NATO Unity Tested: Spain Secures Exemption from Aggressive New Spending Goal
NATO Unity Tested: Spain Secures Exemption from Aggressive New Spending Goal
In a move that could ripple through the transatlantic alliance, Spain has declared itself exempt from NATO’s newly agreed 5% of GDP defence spending target. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Sunday that Madrid has secured a special agreement with the alliance, allowing it to bypass the ambitious new financial commitment, despite the recent consensus among other NATO members.
The announcement comes just days after NATO allies collectively agreed to significantly increase their defence outlays, a decision that aimed to bolster the alliance’s collective security. However, Mr. Sánchez, in a televised address, confirmed that while Spain would not meet the 5% threshold, its “participation, weight and legitimacy in NATO remain intact.”
This decision directly contradicts the long-standing demands from the United States, particularly from former President Donald Trump, who has consistently pushed allies to contribute more to their own defence. Just last Friday, Trump singled out Spain, labeling it a “very low payer” and insisting that the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy must “pay what everybody else has to pay.”
NATO estimates previously placed Spain as the lowest spender among the 32-nation military alliance last year, with a defence expenditure of 1.28% of GDP, falling short of the previous 2% target. While Mr. Sánchez had committed in April to raising Spain’s defence spending to 2% this year, he now claims that a 2.1% allocation will be sufficient to uphold Spain’s commitments to NATO.
According to Mr. Sánchez, letters exchanged with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Sunday formalized Spain’s exemption, with the language surrounding the 5% target adjusted to no longer include “all allies.” Sánchez had reportedly informed Rutte earlier that the increased spending goal was “incompatible with our worldview.”
The new 5% target, which allies are expected to achieve by 2035, is structured with 3.5% allocated to core defence and 1.5% to defence-related investments, such as cybersecurity. This development unfolds just days before a critical NATO summit in The Hague, where Mr. Trump is expected to be present, setting the stage for potential diplomatic friction.
As other allies, like the UK, plan to increase their defence spending (the UK aims for 2.5% by 2027), Spain’s unique position highlights the ongoing challenges of burden-sharing and unity within the alliance amidst evolving global security landscapes.
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