Call for Spain to boost defence spending amid NATO pressure
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, during a meeting in Washington to increase Spain's defence spending to 5% of GDP. Currently, Spain spends about 1.2% of its GDP on defence, the lowest in NATO.
"Urged Spain to join Allies in committing 5% of GDP to defence," Rubio wrote on the X platform after the meeting with Albares on Thursday.
A statement from the U.S. State Department added that Rubio thanked Albares for Spain's current increase in defence spending. In recent weeks, the government of Pedro Sanchez announced additional investments of €10 (CAD 15,6) billion, aiming to reach a 2% GDP spending level by 2025, instead of the previously planned 2029.
Albares stressed after the conversation with the American that achieving 2% was "an enormous effort" for Spain. He added that his country is participating in securing the eastern flank of NATO by deploying the largest-ever contingent of 2,300 soldiers there.
Call for quick achievement of 2% GDP
This is another instance of Washington calling on Madrid to increase its defence spending. Shortly after his inauguration in January, U.S. President Donald Trump noted Spain's "very low" defence expenditures. At the end of March, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau urged the Sanchez government to quickly achieve the 2% GDP target.
In mid-April, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also discussed the need to increase defence spending during a meeting in Washington with his Spanish counterpart, Carlos Cuerpo.
At the end of April, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte published a 2024 report on member countries' defence spending. According to this data, 22 out of 32 Alliance countries exceeded the 2% GDP threshold, with Poland leading after allocating 4.07% of its GDP to this purpose last year. Spain ranked at the bottom with 1.24%.
