Spain pushes back against mooted 5% Nato spending goal

SPAIN is resisting US President Donald Trump's demands to hike defence spending to five percent of national output, potentially threatening Nato unity at a crucial alliance summit this month.

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The European country ended 2024 as the Nato member that dedicated the smallest proportion of its annual economic output to defence, falling short of the two percent target set in 2014.

Faced with Trump's threats to withdraw US security guarantees from member states perceived as not pulling their weight, Spain has announced fresh spending to hit the two percent mark this year.

But Madrid is baulking at suggestions the target should rise to five percent as an aggressive Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine has stretched into a fourth year, menaces Europe.

With Germany and Poland already backing the new benchmark, Spain could find itself isolated among its allies at next week's Nato summit in The Hague.