Spain Will Block an Increase in Defense Spending for NATO Member States

According to the Spanish newspaper El País, Spain intends to oppose any move to raise defense expenditures among NATO member states. This stance comes amidst calls, notably from U.S. President Donald Trump, for member countries to allocate at least 5% of their GDP to military needs.

Madrid argues that such a sharp increase in defense spending would do more harm than good. Currently, only Poland and the Baltic states are willing to increase their budgets—primarily because they seek to spend money borrowed or received as aid from Brussels.

The proposal to elevate the spending threshold to 5% may lack the necessary support, as NATO decisions require unanimous agreement among member states.