U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that NATO should consider removing Spain from the alliance, criticising the country for failing to meet new military spending targets.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday night, October 9, during a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Trump reignited tensions with Madrid over defence commitments.
At the NATO summit in The Hague in June, all 32 member nations agreed to a U.S.-backed plan to boost military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. However, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez refused to commit to the target, calling it “incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision.” Spain instead pledged to spend 2.1% of its GDP on defence, saying that amount is adequate to meet its strategic goals within the alliance.
During the meeting, Trump described Spain as the “one laggard” among NATO members on the new spending plan, adding, “You have to call them and find out why they are a laggard. Maybe you should throw ’em out of NATO, frankly.”
Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles responded on Friday, reaffirming the country’s dedication to the alliance. She said Spain remains a full NATO member that honours its commitments, noting that the U.S. military “is well aware of Spain’s commitment.”
Spain has been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since 1982. The debate over defence spending has grown sharper since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
