The Atlantic Alliance tries to set new standards of defense expenditure. That 2% threshold that was agreed at the 2014 Wales Summit for the next ten years, that is, by 2024, it has been outdated given the geopolitical uncertainty that marks the current moment. NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, has proposed Formally this Thursday that countries raise their military spending up to 5% of GDP. An idea that already has the support of most defense ministers, although Spain does not agree.
Defense holders begin to take a position for the NATO summit of the end of the month, in which it will be decided if this new objective is ahead. And the general secretary of the organization does the same. Rutte will raise in the next meeting in the beech that the allies raised to 5% of the GDP their defense expenditure until 2032. But with a specific distribution, with formula 3.5+ 1.5.
These figures would be reflected with a particular cast: 3.5% of GDP should be allocated to direct military investment, and 1.5% of GDP to what are called soft investments and that would cover some of the demands made by the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, who had previously claimed that it would also be considered defense spending also Areas such as cybersecurity, border control or infrastructure.
While the bulk of allied countries has shown its approval to the renewal of spending commitments, Spain is unmarked. The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, arrived at the meeting this Thursday giving for good and “sufficient” that the government achieved the goal of 2% of GDP in defense in 2025. “We understand that Spain, if it meets the 2%commitment, that we will fulfill it without any doubt this year, we will assume our commitments, our abilities that are those attributed to us by the Atlantic Alliance,” he said in the press.
The truth is that investment in defense is not entirely homogeneous among NATO countries. According to the organization’s report last year, the Government allocates 1.28% of GDP to this sector. Spain is, in fact, to the tail of military spending in relation to GDP, without reaching that goal of 2% yet. Although he has remedied to reach such a share. Last April, Sanchez announced a Package of 10.5 billion euros for defense that would allow to meet the standards of the Summit of Wales this year.
“The plan that we have approved and that allows us to reach 2% of GDP will allow us that increase in the capacities required by the Atlantic Alliance,” added Robles, valueing the Spanish contribution in Misiones in Latvia, Slovakia, Romania or Turkey. In this way, the Defense head has clarified that although many countries want that 5% investment, it is not a unanimous position. Thus, he assures that Other countries advocate for some flexibility when agreeing to new standards.
In any case, the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance has pointed out that the proposal already has the support of the majority of members. His hope is that an agreement will be reached at the Hague Summit attended by the US President Donald Trump, the main driver of raise military spending levels.
It is no accident that the requirement was put on the table the secretary of US defense, Pete Hegseth. “The reason I am here is to make sure that all NATO countries understand that we must all close their shoulders. All countries have to contribute to that level of 5% in recognition of the nature of the threat,” he said upon his arrival at the meeting of NATO defense ministers. Peace must be achieved through force, but it cannot be dependency. It cannot be and will not be dependence on the United States, “he said.
“We live in a different, more dangerous world. If we do not do this, we will not be sure,” said Dutch minister. While the date of 2032 is yet to be confirmed, what it seems is that the countries will have to present plans to reach that goal.
