A new NATO spending standard will apply to all Member States of the alliance, including Spain, Secretary General Mark Rutte indicated on Monday ahead of this week’s summit in The Hague on 24-25 June.
Rutte emphasised that NATO operates without parallel agreements or exceptions. All Member States agree with the declaration and capability goals, he said. Spain believes it can meet the objectives with 2.1% of its GDP, but NATO is convinced it will require 3.5% to achieve them, he added
An assessment of the spending standard, to consider the strategic environment and updated capability goals, is scheduled for 2029.
This week’s summit in the Dutch capital will focus on NATO’s future spending standards. On Sunday, Member States endorsed a proposal for expenditure equating to 5% of GDP, with 3.5% earmarked for military spending and 1.5% for resilience expenditures, such as infrastructure development for troop movement and cybersecurity enhancements.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has deemed the 5% target “unreasonable,” contending that 2.1% of GDP is adequate for Spain to meet NATO’s military capability goals. On social media, Sanchez claimed that Spain had reached a “historic agreement” with NATO, allowing it to remain a key member without increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP.
Sanchez shared a letter from Rutte, stating that the Secretary General understood Spain’s conviction that it can meet the new capability goals at less than 5% of GDP.
However, the letter does not grant Spain an exemption. It highlights that the agreement will provide Spain with the flexibility to chart its path to meet capability goals and allocate annual resources based on its GDP, allowing Spain to present its own annual plans.
