Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles on Friday said the nation is “not worried” about removal from the NATO alliance, despite quips from President Trump about the country being the lowest defense spender.
“We are not worried,” Robles told reporters in Madrid according to The Associated Press.
She added later, “I believe that President Trump must know that Spain is one of the committed and loyal (NATO) allies.”
However, her comments ring hollow in comparison to the president’s remarks from the Oval Office on Thursday alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Trump described Spain as a “laggard” after the nation contributed 1.3 percent of its GDP to defense spending last year as other member countries delved out at least 2 percent.
“You people are going to have to start speaking to Spain,” Trump said, per the AP.
“You have to call them and find why they are a laggard. They have no excuse not to do this, but that’s all right. Maybe you should throw them out of NATO, frankly,” he added.
In June, Spain secured an exemption from an increased defense spending goal set at 5 percent of GDP by 2035 citing financial concerns.
“Committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote in a letter to NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte.
“It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to,” he added.
Following Spain’s decision, NATO provided wiggle room for member nations facing similar apprehension.
The alliance agreed to a review of spending, set for 2029, to monitor progress and reassess Russia’s security threat, given its ongoing war in Ukraine and overt threats to alliance members should they interfere in the conflict.
“I think Spain’s terrible what they’ve done. No, I do. They’re the only country that won’t pay the full — they want to stay at 2 percent,” Trump said in June during a press conference amid the NATO summit at The Hague.
He later added, “I do like Spain, by the way. I think it’s unfair that they’re not paying.”
