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- October 17, 202613°
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Spain refuses to raise defense spending to 5% ahead of NATO’s Ankara Summit
Spain will reject demands at NATO's Ankara summit to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. The country instead proposes an alternative model that reforms the welfare state and public finances while strengthening security.
The Spanish government is preparing to reject demands at NATO's summit in Ankara to raise defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will once again rebuff demands by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and U.S. President Donald Trump at the summit to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sources from the Spanish Prime Minister's office say the country proposes developing a model that strengthens the welfare state and reforms public finances while enhancing security, instead of raising defense spending to 5%.
Since 2018, Spain has tripled its defense investments to reach 2% of GDP, a figure aligned with NATO's capability targets.
Among the 32 NATO members, the country ranks seventh in capability level, third in the number of troops deployed to peacekeeping missions, and first in military contributions to the alliance's eastern flank.
Spain, which has provided a total of 3.795 billion euros in support to Ukraine, has trained more than 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its soil. By June 2026, it will become the country deploying the most troops outside its borders on the alliance's eastern flank.
Spain is also one of the few allies carrying out strategic command roles such as the naval component of the NATO Response Force and the multinational brigade in Slovakia.
Prime ministerial sources stressed that there is a strong belief that many countries committed to raising defense spending to 5% will not achieve that figure.
Noting that NATO documents clearly show Spain to be an important ally, contrary to the statements of Rutte and Trump, the sources said that Sanchez would go to the Ankara summit 'having done his duty, with his head held high and his heart at ease'.
Spain views Russia as a major threat in the short, medium, and long term, and advocates a project of 'Europe and a European army' that is less dependent on the U.S., invests more in itself, and strengthens its defense.
Turkey is hosting a NATO summit for the second time in its history, 22 years after the 2004 Istanbul Summit. The 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government in Ankara is of great importance in light of the challenges facing the alliance and developments in the global security architecture.
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