Spain Rejects NATO's Anticipated 5% Defence Spending Proposal as 'Unreasonable'

Madrid Was the Lowest Spender in the Trans-Atlantic Alliance Last Year

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MADRID: Spain has rejected a NATO proposal to spend 5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence needs that's due to be announced next week, calling it "unreasonable."

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a letter sent on Thursday to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, said that Spain "cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP" at next week's NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands.

Any agreement to adopt a new spending guideline must be made with the consensus of all 32 NATO member states. So Sánchez's decision risks derailing next week's summit, which US President Donald Trump is due to attend, and creating a last-minute shakeup that could have lingering repercussions.