Spain has categorically rejected NATO's proposal for member states to increase their defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), reports EFE. This new target is expected to be officially announced at the alliance's summit in The Hague next week, BTA reports.
In a letter to NATO's newly elected Secretary General, Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that Spain "cannot commit to a specific target for spending in terms of GDP" within the framework of this meeting.
The proposal to increase defense budgets comes at the initiative of the United States, with most of Washington's allies in the alliance tending to support it. In early June Sweden and the Netherlands have expressed their intention to meet the new target, the Associated Press notes.
However, Spain remains the country with the lowest defense spending in the 32-member alliance, allocating less than 2% of its GDP to military needs. In April, Pedro Sanchez announced that the country would increase its defense budget by 10.5 billion euros (about $12 billion), in order to reach the current consensus threshold of 2%.
We recall that in 2014, NATO member states agreed to allocate at least 2% of their GDP to defense. However, the alliance's new strategic plans, aimed at deterring possible Russian aggression, require significantly higher investments.
According to the latest data, NATO is already discussing an increase in spending to 3.5% of GDP for basic defense needs - including tanks, combat aircraft, air defense systems, missiles and an increase in the size of the army. An additional 1.5% will be directed towards improving infrastructure - roads, bridges, ports, airports - in order to deploy forces more quickly, as well as preparing the civilian population for possible crises and attacks.
Spain has clearly stated that it will not join the alliance's new ambitious goal, preferring to maintain a balance between its economic capabilities and commitments to collective security.