US remains “disappointed” with Spain, but admits capabilities are more important than defense spending

The Diplomat US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker admitted Wednesday that President Donald Trump remains “disappointed with Spain” for its refusal to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP and to authorize the use of the Morón and Rota bases against Iran. However, he asserted that he does not expect a bilateral conflict at the Ankara Summit and acknowledged, in line with Spain's position, that capabilities are ultimately more important than mere military expenditure. “There is no doubt that the president is disappointed with Spain, both for the limitations on access to the bases and overflights during Operation Epic Fury and for its unwillingness to demonstrate a credible path toward five percent,” Whitaker stated at a press conference a few days before the NATO summit, which will take place next week in Ankara. However, Whitaker does not expect a confrontation between Donald Trump and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Ankara summit. “I don’t expect the summit to turn into that kind of situation,” he stated. “I think those days are behind us, thankfully,” he added. “I think everyone in NATO understands that we are a political-military alliance” and, therefore, that “the Spanish know our position,” he continued. “I simply remind everyone that the 32 NATO allies unanimously approved the Defense Commitment in The Hague, and we expect everyone to honor their commitments,” he added. Pedro Sánchez distanced himself from the final declaration of the recent Hague Summit, in which all the allies made clear their commitment to "invest five percent of annual GDP" in Defense by 2035. The Prime Minister insisted at the end of the Summit that 2.1 percent is sufficient to meet the Alliance's capability objectives and emphasized that the debate should continue to focus on capabilities, not percentages. "It's not me saying the 2.1 percent figure; it's the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense saying that these agreed capabilities can be achieved with 2.1 percent of GDP," he asserted at the press conference. Precisely, Whitaker stated this Wednesday that, although "Ankara will indeed be a measure of progress towards the Hague Defense commitment (...), the most important thing is capabilities, because it's not just about spending money; ultimately, it's about the capabilities acquired with that spending." Given the possibility that other countries might also decide to withdraw from the five percent commitment, the US ambassador asserted that the United States will implement a policy of rewards and penalties based on compliance with spending targets. “We believe that those who do more should reap benefits” in bilateral relations, whether by “granting them more time with US leaders or prioritizing the acquisition and procurement of military equipment.”

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