Spain’s resistance to Donald Trump’s demand that allies boost their defence spending to 5% of GDP risks disrupting a high-stakes NATO summit aimed at placating the U.S. president.
The leaders of the transatlantic military alliance are set to convene in The Hague on June 24-25, amid uncertainty over Washington’s commitment to European defence. This follows Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw protection from allies who fail to dedicate 5% of their GDP to military spending.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticised the proposed target as “unreasonable,” warning that such a sharp increase in defense spending could harm the economy and undermine social welfare by redirecting public funds.
According to alliance figures, Spain ranked lowest among NATO members last year, with defense expenditure estimated at just 1.28% of GDP. In April, Sánchez pledged to speed up progress toward NATO’s existing goal of 2%.
