Spain will stick to its defense spending target of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), Defense Minister Margarita Robles said, amid increased pressure from NATO and the United States to increase military budgets, Reuters reports, BTA reports.
“We believe that this 2% is enough to meet the commitments we have made“, Robles stressed.
She added that Spain will not veto a possible decision to increase defense spending, which will be discussed at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague later this month.
“It is important that each country is able to meet the goals it has set itself“, the minister also pointed out.
In April, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a plan to further increase the military budget by 10.5 billion euros this year. This will allow Spain to reach the 2% of GDP target earlier than planned - before 2029.