NATO chief says Spain to ultimately need to boost defence spending

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said Spain will eventually be required to significantly increase its defence spending, arguing that Alliance members can no longer rely on the 2% of GDP benchmark established a decade ago.

Speaking to El País, Rutte indicated that the 2% target set at the 2014 Wales summit was only a rough estimate and is now outdated. He said Spain would ultimately have to raise its spending to between 3.4% and 3.6% of GDP, citing new defence requirements agreed by NATO defence ministers in early June ahead of the summit in The Hague, Caliber.Az reports. 

Rutte said the updated spending level reflects a planned 400% increase in weapons system procurement across Europe and Canada, which he described as essential for meeting the Alliance’s defence needs. He noted that the Spanish government maintains it can meet these requirements while spending just 2.1% of GDP, but stressed that Spain is the only member state that believes this is feasible.

By Sabina Mammadli