Prime Minister Sánchez announced a special exception to Spain from the NATO rule on defense spending. Spain remains at the bottom of the defense budgets.
Spain has agreed with the other Member States of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) on an exception to spending five percent of its GDP in defense. On Sunday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez informed about it. Representatives of the Member States had previously approved the text of the joint statement, which should be approved by the leaders of the Member States at the next week’s Alliance summit in the HaaG. According to AFP and EFE, TASR reports this.
“Spain has just concluded an agreement with NATO, which will allow us to comply with our obligations to the North Atlantic Alliance without having to increase our defense spending to five percent of GDP,” Sánchez said in a speech.
Increasing defense expenses up to five percent of GDP was demanded by US President Donald Trump, and this goal was also promoted by the Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Sánchez, however, said this week that for his country would be an increase in defense spending to such a high extent “unreasonable and counterproductive”. Spain spends at least all NATO Member States, only 1.3 percent for its defense.
