Sánchez emphasizes that the Ankara Summit Declaration focuses “more on capabilities than on spending,” as “Spain has always advocated”

Eduardo González The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has given a very positive assessment of the final Declaration of the NATO Summit in Ankara because “it focuses on capabilities and not so much on the resources that need to be allocated,” something that “we have always advocated from Spain.” He also announced that Spain will join the Advanced Ground Forces mission in Finland, launched by the Atlantic Alliance to strengthen surveillance, deterrence, and rapid response capabilities in the Arctic region and the High North. “Spain came to the NATO summit prepared and, therefore, is satisfied with the way in which the summit declaration was agreed upon and is also determined to continue its strong support for its allies,” Sánchez declared at the press conference following the Summit. “Last year we agreed that the Atlantic Alliance had to modernize and strengthen its deterrent capabilities and that Europe had to assume a greater role in its own defense,” he recalled. “Spain committed then to doing its part, and today I can tell the citizens that we have fulfilled our commitments and, moreover, exceeded them,” he affirmed. “Last month, the Alliance’s Defence Policy and Planning Committee concluded that our country has achieved its capability targets set for 2026 and has done so with a level of compliance exceeding the European average,” he added. “In fact, Spain is the seventh country that has best met the seventh NATO commitment out of the 32 member states of the Atlantic alliance,” he stated. According to the Prime Minister, “Spain has made an extraordinary effort to increase its defense spending from 0.9 percent in 2018 to 2 percent of its Gross Domestic Product in 2026.” “Spain was the third country in NATO to increase its defense investment the most in 2024 and 2025,” and since 2018, “its defense investment has increased five times faster than its GDP growth, in a context of economic growth.” However, he clarified, “it is not just a matter of increasing the amount of defense spending” but of “doing it well and ensuring that it truly serves to modernize our Armed Forces.” “Right now, of the nearly €35.5 billion we are investing in defense annually, 44 percent is earmarked for new equipment, whereas I believe the average is just over 20 percent in NATO member states,” he asserted. “Therefore, we are not only investing more, but we are investing in new equipment and in the modernization of our Armed Forces,” he added. For this reason, unlike the Hague Summit Declaration of 2025, which emphasized the need to increase defense spending to five percent, “what is relevant in this Summit Declaration is that NATO speaks of capabilities, not so much of the resources that must be allocated, but of the capabilities that must be contributed, and I believe this is something we in Spain have always advocated,” he stressed. “In fact, I want to remind you that when the issue of the five percent target was raised last year, Spain had already agreed with NATO on the capabilities we would need to make available to the Alliance to address these challenges, and that the cost of contributing these capabilities to the Alliance represented 2.1 percent of GDP,” Sánchez continued. “This is something we have always maintained,” he added, “that it is viable to sustain greater security capabilities and a more European NATO, together with a strong welfare state that also addresses the threats facing our societies.” Mission in Finland Furthermore, Pedro Sánchez recalled that, “at the beginning of June, Spain was the third ally with the most personnel deployed in NATO missions and operations.” “I also want to announce to the media and to Spanish society that we will be joining the Advanced Ground Forces mission in Finland, launched by the Atlantic Alliance to protect the Arctic region,” he declared. “I have also had the opportunity to speak with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, who naturally appreciates Spain’s participation in this new mission,” he added, without being able to provide further details about the nature of Spain’s participation. “I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, Minister, that this will be decided in September, when it is agreed upon by all the countries participating in this mission,” he assured. Ankara Summit Declaration The Ankara Summit Declaration reaffirms the Allies' "unwavering commitment" to "collective defense under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and to the transatlantic bond" and warns that "unity, solidarity, and collective strength remain the foundation of peace, security, and prosperity for the one billion citizens of our Alliance of free and democratic nations." It also reiterates the commitment to a "360-degree approach to deterrence and defense." The text also highlights that, "to counter the long-term threat that Russia poses to Euro-Atlantic security and stability, and the persistent threat of terrorism, the Allies are fulfilling their Hague defense commitments." In this regard, it continues, "the European Allies and Canada have increased their investments in core defense requirements by more than $139 billion by 2025." “Our investments are providing the capabilities we need, while strengthening our industrial base and resilience,” the Declaration states. “Today in Ankara, we are announcing more than $50 billion in new acquisitions and committing to expanding our collective manufacturing capacity and working with industry to accelerate innovation,” it continues. “We will continue our work to eliminate defense trade barriers among Allies and leverage NATO alliances to maximize industrial depth and defense cooperation,” it adds. Furthermore, the Declaration asserts that the future lies in “a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.” “European Allies and Canada, in partnership with the United States, are assuming greater responsibility for the Alliance’s defense,” the text affirms. “NATO’s deterrence and defense are based on an appropriate mix of nuclear, conventional, and missile defense capabilities, complemented by space and cyber assets,” it emphasizes. “We are committed to maintaining our combat advantage,” and therefore, “we are investing in our ability to deploy, enable, and sustain our armed forces and achieve our capability objectives across all domains, including deep precision strikes, integrated air and missile defense, unmanned systems, cutting-edge technologies, and intelligence capabilities,” the Declaration continues. Furthermore, it asserts, “we are developing an interoperable cloud for transatlantic warfare and adopting powerful AI models.” The Declaration also affirms that “Ukraine contributes to transatlantic security, and the Allies are united in their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” “The European Allies and Canada now finance the vast majority of security assistance to Ukraine through bilateral and multilateral means,” and they believe that “this support must be equitable, predictable, and sustainable in the long term,” it continues. In this context, “by 2026, the Allies pledge €70 billion in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukraine and reaffirm their sovereign commitments to maintain at least equivalent levels by 2027.” “To this end, we welcome the European Union’s decision to provide multi-year funding to Ukraine through the Ukraine Support Loan,” the text adds. Furthermore, the Declaration affirms that “the Alliance continues to respond to and adapt to the strategic competition, widespread instability, hybrid threats, and recurring shocks that define our broader security environment” and, in this regard, “reiterates that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon and calls for it to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

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