Donald Trump Criticizes Spain for Failing to Meet NATO’s New 5% Defense Spending Goal
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy by suggesting that Spain should be “thrown out of NATO” for refusing to meet the alliance’s newly increased defense spending target.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said Spain was the only country not complying with his demand that NATO members raise defense spending to five percent of their GDP, up from the previous two percent.
“I requested that they pay five percent, not two percent — and it happened almost unanimously. The only laggard was Spain,” Trump said. “Maybe you should throw them out of NATO, frankly.”
The remark comes after NATO leaders, under U.S. pressure, agreed in June to gradually boost defense investments to five percent of GDP by 2035. However, Spain announced it cannot meet that goal, citing economic constraints. The deal includes a review in 2029 to evaluate progress and reassess the evolving security threat from Russia.
The United States remains the largest financial contributor to NATO, spending more on defense than all other members combined. Trump has long accused European allies of failing to pay their “fair share,” claiming his tough stance forced them to boost military budgets.
In 2023, the alliance reaffirmed the two percent defense target, which most members are now reaching. But Trump continues to question whether the U.S. should defend countries that don’t meet higher spending levels — a comment that raises concerns about America’s commitment to Article 5, the mutual defense clause stating that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all.
Meanwhile, the European Union has begun exploring ways to reduce its reliance on U.S. security, emphasizing greater defense cooperation and a shift toward buying European-made military equipment. This marks a broader effort by Europe to strengthen its own defense autonomy amid growing uncertainty about Washington’s long-term support.
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