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A top Spanish official has downplayed comments made by President Trump calling for Spain to be removed from NATO.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: During a meeting last week with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in the Oval Office, President Trump called out Spain for failing to meet NATO’s new defense spending target of 5% of GDP. He labeled Spain a “laggard” and questioned why the country was not contributing its fair share, stating there was “no excuse” for its low military spending, which stood at just 1.28% last year. Trump went so far as to suggest that Spain should be removed from the alliance altogether, telling reporters, “Maybe you should throw them out of NATO, frankly.”
What’s going on now: In a notable development, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles addressed President Trump’s remarks on Friday, noting that Spain remains a “committed and loyal” member of NATO despite his criticisms.“We are not worried,” Robles told reporters in Madrid, adding, “I believe that President Trump must know that Spain is one of the committed and loyal (NATO) allies.”
She also pushed back on the idea that Spain’s lower spending equates to a lack of commitment, noting that the US armed forces are well aware of Spain’s contributions and involvement in alliance operations across Europe. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also defended Spain’s position, pointing to the economic and social realities behind its exemption from NATO’s new 5% defense spending target.
In a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Sánchez previously argued that “committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem.” He added that it is “the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices.”
