Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed on Wednesday his commitment to increasing the country’s defense budget to 2% of GDP in line with NATO requirements. Speaking in parliament, he assured that these measures would not lead to cuts in social spending.
The head of government also advocated for strengthening the EU’s defense integration, emphasizing the need to create a pan-European army. He supported the initiatives of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen but noted that key questions remain unresolved, including the level of additional security investments required.
Previously, the prime minister proposed including cybersecurity, counterterrorism efforts, and climate change mitigation in defense expenditures, alongside traditional military spending.
Spain has come under NATO’s scrutiny as it still lags behind the alliance’s 2% GDP target. Against this backdrop, U.S. President Donald Trump has urged European countries to contribute more to their own defense and suggested raising the spending benchmark to 5% of GDP.
