Albares asserts that Spain “already meets the 2% target and has delivered all capabilities,” something “not all allies can say”

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares asserted this Monday, on the eve of the NATO Summit in Ankara, that Spain has already reached two percent of its GDP in defense spending and “has delivered all the capabilities requested by the Alliance,” something, he affirmed, “not all the allies who will be sitting around the table tomorrow can say.” At the 2025 Summit, held in The Hague, Spain distanced itself from the general commitment of all allies to “invest five percent of annual GDP” in defense by 2035 and insisted that 2.1 percent is sufficient to meet the Alliance's capability objectives. US President Donald Trump has hinted at possible retaliation against countries that do not meet the target. “Spain is a country that keeps its word. I wish all NATO allies would do the same,” Albares declared this Monday on the TVE program 'La hora de La 1'. “Let's talk about the real figures: Spain is already at two percent and has delivered all the capabilities requested by the Alliance, and capabilities are what's important for defense,” he continued. “Not all NATO allies, not all the allies who will be sitting around the table tomorrow, can say what Spain can say with their heads held high,” he asserted. According to Albares, “there are four allies that haven't reached two percent and three allies that haven't delivered all the capabilities NATO has requested for our common defense.” “Therefore, let's start by fulfilling our commitments, then we'll see about everything else,” he warned. “I wish, I repeat, that all allies could say what Spain can say today, right now,” he insisted. Last Wednesday, July 1, the US ambassador to NATO, Matt Whitaker, admitted 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 (“I think those days are behind us, thankfully”) and acknowledged, in line with Spain's position, that capabilities are more important, “ultimately,” than mere military spending. “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,” Whitaker added. Nevertheless, he admitted that while “Ankara will indeed be a measure of progress toward 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 deviate from the five percent commitment, the US ambassador asserted that the United States will promote 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.” On June 12, the People’s Parliamentary Group in Congress registered a non-legislative proposal in which it asked the Government to attend the next NATO Summit in Ankara “with a clear, common and coherent position, without discrepancies between the parties that make up the Executive and with a firm message on Spain's commitment to Euro-Atlantic security.”

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