Spain Excluded From 5 Percent NATO Target

‘We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defense investment, but we are not going to do it,” Spain’s Pedro Sánchez said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (R) meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Moncloa Palace in Madrid on Jan. 27, 2025. Juan Medina/Reuters

Spain has reached a deal with NATO to be excluded from a 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) defense spending target, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on June 22.

“Spain will, therefore, not spend 5 percent of its GDP on defense, but its participation, weight, and legitimacy in NATO remain intact,” Sánchez said in a televised address on June 22.