PM rejects Nato 'target' of 5% GDP

Any Nato target to ramp up defence spending to 5% of annual economic output would be “unreasonable” for Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday ahead of a crucial alliance summit.

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The June 24-25 gathering in The Hague comes as United States President Donald Trump demands other Nato members shoulder a greater burden and Russia's grinding war in Ukraine forces Europe to bolster its own security capabilities.

Germany and Poland are among the countries supporting the goal of 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), up from a 2% goal set in 2014, but Spain has resisted its allies’ calls to go further.

“For Spain, committing to a 5 percent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive,” Mr Sanchez told Nato chief Mark Rutte in a letter written in English.