Spain expects no repercussions from not meeting NATO 5% spending target

MADRID: Spain said on Wednesday it did not expect any repercussions from its decision not to meet a defence spending target of 5% of gross domestic product that NATO member states are expected to set at a summit in The Hague.

AI Brief

Spain pledges to be a reliable NATO ally despite rejecting the new 5% GDP defense spending goal.
Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo says current NATO commitments don't require spending beyond 2.1% of GDP.
Spain may review defense spending if NATO updates its capability requirements in the future.

"Spain will be a responsible ally," Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo told Bloomberg TV in an interview, adding that Madrid would meet all its commitments on its military capabilities despite spending less than 5% of GDP.

"No repercussions should derive from making good on our commitments and from being a reliable NATO ally, covering for the capabilities that we did commit to and that are necessary to defend NATO."

NATO leaders meeting in The Hague on Wednesday were expected to endorse the higher defence spending goal of 5% of GDP in response to a demand by U.S. President Donald Trump. Doing so would also address the security concerns of European countries over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday that Madrid would not spend more than 2.1% of its GDP on defence because its commitments towards NATO on its military capabilities did not require more.

Cuerpo also told Spanish radio station RNE that Spain would review its spending when or if the NATO capabilities requirements are revised.

"Spain will certainly be up to the task when these necessary capabilities are updated," he said.