Spain remains the only major NATO country that has yet to express support for former US President Donald Trump’s demand to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2032. This information was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the situation.
Madrid is under significant pressure to commit to achieving this target, which would allow NATO to announce that all members have fulfilled their obligations at the defense ministers’ meeting scheduled to take place in Brussels on June 5.
Trump insists that NATO countries raise their defense spending to 5% of GDP, threatening to withdraw American protection otherwise. Alliance diplomats are trying to secure unanimous support for this initiative ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit planned for June 24 in The Hague.
Many participants hope that at the summit, Trump will reaffirm member countries’ promises to increase defense spending and the US security guarantees for Europe. Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Spain to join its allies in allocating 5% of GDP to defense during a meeting with the Spanish foreign minister in Washington.
However, the Spanish government, led by the Socialists, refuses to publicly endorse this demand. Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares emphasized that the country has already taken significant steps to reach the 2% of GDP level, and that discussions should now focus on developing defense capabilities.
Recall that in January 2024, Donald Trump called on NATO countries to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, noting that most of them do not even meet the previously established 2% threshold. According to him, the US covers this gap, which is unfair to American taxpayers.