Overview

• In an Oval Office meeting on Oct. 9 with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, President Trump called Spain a “laggard” on defense spending and said “maybe you should throw them out of NATO.”
• Spain was the only ally to refuse the new 5% of GDP benchmark endorsed at the June summit—3.5% for core defense and 1.5% for broader security—arguing it will instead target about 2%.
• Madrid replied that Spain is a full NATO member that meets capability objectives, and Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Friday the U.S. military is well aware of Spain’s commitment.
• The NATO treaty contains no procedure to suspend or expel a member and decisions are made by consensus, making any removal impractical and ruling out unilateral action by the U.S.
• Spain spent roughly 1.24–1.3% of GDP on defense last year, the lowest in the alliance, and has announced extra funding to reach around 2% as Trump has also threatened trade penalties over its stance.