Media reports 5 percent spending demand divides NATO
(MENAFN)
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected NATO’s proposal to raise member countries’ military spending to 5% of their GDP, calling the suggestion “unreasonable and counterproductive.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected NATO’s proposal to raise member countries’ military spending to 5% of their GDP, calling the suggestion “unreasonable and counterproductive.”
The demand followed US President Donald Trump’s push for a 5% defense spending target. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged all member states to increase their military budgets to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% allocated to broader security needs.
In a letter to Rutte that surfaced Thursday, Sanchez stated that while Spain remains committed to European security, it will not agree to a fixed GDP-based spending target at the upcoming summit. He emphasized that each sovereign government has the right to decide on such sacrifices, and Spain chooses not to accept this proposal.
Currently, Spain’s defense budget stands at around 1.3% of GDP, well below NATO’s 2% guideline and far from the new 5% suggestion. Rutte has previously advocated for EU-wide social program cuts to fund these increased defense expenses.
Since taking office in January, Trump has intensified pressure on European NATO members to increase defense spending, accusing them of not contributing their fair share.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced plans to significantly boost the UK’s military budget, a move supported by Rutte, who warned that Russia could pose a direct threat to NATO countries within five years. NATO leaders are expected to agree on increased defense funding to address this perceived threat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed these concerns as “inconceivable lies,” arguing they are used by Western governments to justify tax hikes and divert public funds into the military-industrial complex.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin warned that such military posturing only heightens global tensions and detracts from social and economic progress.
The Times reported that the upcoming NATO summit on June 24-25 in The Hague will be unusually short, featuring only one working session lasting two and a half hours—a format reportedly influenced by Trump’s aversion to lengthy diplomatic meetings.
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