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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.

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.