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Spain Rejects NATO’s Proposed 5% Defense Spending Goal

Spain’s refusal to back the 5% guideline threatens to stall agreement at next week’s Hague summit on defense spending.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez asked NATO chief Mark Rutte Thursday to allow Spain to opt out of the alliance’s defense spending target.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) speaks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the European Political Community (EPC) summit, in Tirana, Albania on May 16.

Overview

  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on June 19 declaring a commitment to 5% of GDP on defense “unreasonable” and seeking a formal opt-out.
  • Mark Rutte’s draft compromise would require members to reach 3.5% of GDP for core military budgets by 2032 and allocate 1.5% to wider security investments such as cybersecurity and infrastructure.
  • Poland and the Baltic states have vowed to meet the full 5% target while Italy has proposed extending the deadline to 2035 and Spain demands flexible application or exemption.
  • President Trump has pressed all NATO members for a strict 5% spending pledge and warned of withholding US security guarantees from countries that fail to comply.
  • Any new defense investment plan must win unanimous approval at the June 24–25 summit in The Hague, making Spain’s stance a potential veto on the collective agreement.