Information
NATO members have reached an agreement to raise defence spending to 5% of each country’s GDP, a long-standing demand of former US President Donald Trump. The measure is expected to be formally adopted during the NATO meeting in The Hague. Under the agreement, all member nations, except Spain, will have until 2035 to meet the target. Of the 5%, at least 3.5% must be dedicated to core military needs, with the remaining 1.5% covering related expenditures. Spain initially tried to block the initiative but eventually secured an exemption through negotiations.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has strongly opposed the 5% spending target, calling it “unreasonable” and “counterproductive” in both a letter to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and a national address. Sanchez argued that Spain could fulfil its NATO obligations with a defence budget amounting to just 2.1% of its GDP, citing other forms of contribution, such as personnel and equipment. Spain has historically been among the lowest spenders in NATO on defence, and Sanchez is also under domestic political pressure due to a corruption scandal and opposition from his coalition partner, Sumar, which is firmly against increased military spending.
Source: AFP, Reuters
So What
While this is positive news for the general security of Europe, it is possible that Spain’s exemption will not be viewed positively by other member states in similar economic situations. One factor that Spain is likely looking at is the geographic distance between itself and the key threat facing Europe. However, this may result in other countries not supporting Spain in other aspects of the European project. Regardless, with this boost, it is likely that Europe will have enough capacity to defend itself if required without the assistance of the USA, something that is becoming more and more likely under Trump’s leadership.
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