The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Thursday (9) that Spain “maybe should be expelled from NATO” for not fulfilling the defense spending commitment required by the military alliance. The statement was made during a conversation with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, in the Oval Office of the White House.
“They have no excuse not to do it [o cumprimento do gasto com defesa]. But nothing happens. Maybe they should expel them from NATO, frankly,” said Trump, referring to the fact that Madrid has not yet reached the percentage of defense investment agreed between the allies.
The republican explained that he asked NATO member countries to increase the military budget to 5% of GDP, but highlighted that Spain lagged behind.
“I think you’re going to have to start talking to Spain,” Trump told the Finnish president.
Trump also recalled that most countries responded to Washington’s request.
“The majority thought it wouldn’t happen, and it happened practically unanimously,” said the American president, emphasizing that “Spain is the only member that continues to fall behind in relation to its defense commitments.”
This is not the first time that the American leader has criticized the Spanish socialist government. On other occasions, Trump had already pressured Madrid to increase its military budget, but this is the first time he has suggested the country’s expulsion from the alliance.
After the NATO summit held in the European summer, Spain reached an agreement with the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, to allocate up to 2.1% of GDP to defense – a value still below the limit requested by the United States. Pedro Sánchez’s government also obtained flexibility in the schedule to reach the 5% target, a commitment that Trump considers essential to guarantee the collective security of the Atlantic bloc.
The declaration reignites the debate about the weight of European countries’ contributions within NATO and reinforces Washington’s pressure on allies who, according to Trump, “benefit from American protection without fulfilling their part”.
