“I can say that in 2025 Spain is fulfilling its obligation assumed in 2014 (to reach 2%). What happens in 2030 or 2035, I think absolutely no one can know.“said Robles at the end of the NATO meeting held this Wednesday in Brussels.
According to the calendar approved by the Atlantic Alliance at the Hague summit, the 5% target must be reached in 2032. To facilitate its compliance, it is divided into two components: 3.5% military spending in the strict sense and 1.5% investment in defense in the broad sense, including, for example, infrastructure.
In recent days, Trump has successively threatened to expel Spain from NATO or with imposing an individualized tariff surcharge against our country for refusing to assume the 5% goal. In The Hague, Sánchez signed the final declaration that includes this commitment, but then announced alone that he did not intend to comply with it and that he stood at 2.1%.
The Minister of Defense has indicated that The expulsion of Spain from NATO “is not possible”and has attributed the US president’s fixation with our country to journalists’ questions, although his criticism last week was on his own initiative during a meeting with the president of Finland, without anyone asking him.
For Robles, the threats from the president of the United States are “statements taken out of context“. “Spain is a serious, reliable, responsible and committed ally“he insisted.
Our country has more than 3,000 soldiers deployed on NATO missions and is making a “very important effort” in terms of defense investment, reaching 2% this year, with an additional expenditure of 10,471 million.
According to Robles, the allies recognize Spain’s contribution to the Alliance and some countries, among which he has mentioned Romania or Slovakia, have thanked him for presiding over troops.
In Brussels, the Minister of Defense had a brief aside with her American counterpart, Pete Hegsethin which, according to his version, he has not conveyed any of Trump’s criticisms or threats.
“We have talked about our bilateral relations in the military fieldwhich as I say are relationships really good“says Robles. Hegseth has also invited him to the events celebrating the 250th anniversary of US independence in California, but Robles has excused his presence because, as he has said, he does not have time to go.