Spain's NATO defense spending remains a contentious issue as Madrid continues to resist a proposed NATO commitment to allocate 5% of GDP to defense by 2032. The benchmark, backed by US President Donald Trump, is being framed as a test of transatlantic solidarity ahead of pivotal alliance meetings in Brussels and The Hague.

According to four officials involved in NATO summit preparations, Spain is the only major holdout on the NATO 5% GDP defense target, raising concerns that its reluctance could disrupt a unified front when defence ministers meet in Brussels on June 5. NATO leadership aims to present full consensus at the subsequent leaders’ summit in The Hague on June 24.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed he urged Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares to endorse the target. “We are asking our allies to invest in their defence like they mean it,” said US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker earlier this month.

Rubio, Trump urge allies to increase military budgets

President Trump has warned NATO partners that failure to meet the 5% threshold could endanger US security guarantees. Rubio echoed this stance during his Washington meeting with Albares, part of growing Rubio-Spain defense talks aimed at closing the gap between US expectations and Spain’s current position.

Albares acknowledged the exchange but maintained a cautious tone, “There was an exchange, and both of us expressed our views very clearly. I insisted that it was a huge effort to reach two per cent, and that the debate right now needs to focus on capabilities.”

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On his part, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles reiterated Madrid’s position during recent NATO discussions. “We understand that the important thing is not so much talking about specific percentages, but rather developing capabilities and fulfilling missions,” she said.

Spain argues that its contributions to NATO, EU, and UN missions are not fully reflected in standard defense spending figures, a view that has often placed it at odds with allies emphasising GDP-based metrics.

Spain’s defense spending trails NATO peers

Spain only recently announced plans to meet NATO’s longstanding 2% target, a commitment Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had previously pledged to fulfill by 2029. Instead, in a move seen as a response to rising pressure, Sanchez confirmed that Spain would reach the target in 2024 and unveiled a €10 billion military investment initiative. This shift reflects growing scrutiny of the Spain military budget in 2024 but still falls short of NATO’s new ambition.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has proposed that member states allocate 3.5% of GDP to core defense spending, with an additional 1.5% earmarked for related sectors like cyber defense and military infrastructure. While no NATO country currently meets the 5% threshold, officials stress that the 3.5% benchmark is the immediate focus.

Spain’s political, cultural context stand as obstacles

Analysts say Spain’s political and cultural context presents hurdles. “As a country, we come from a tradition that is more pacifist and anti-militarist,” said Bernardo Navazo, director of Madrid-based Geopolitical Insights. He added that while the government acknowledges the need to exceed 2%, building domestic support for 5% will take time.

“For countries like Spain and Italy, it will be very difficult to get their populations to back 5 per cent in a context where people perceive no imminent threat,” Navazo said, despite European concerns over Russia’s regional posture.

If Spain does sign on, NATO ministers are expected to finalize technical details and interim benchmarks during the June meeting. Until then, Madrid’s position continues to shape the broader European defence spending debate and could determine whether NATO presents a unified vision of collective investment and deterrence.

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