The chancellor stated that all NATO members ought to allocate 5% of their GDP to military matters
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has supported US President Donald Trump’s criticism of Spain for not reaching the NATO goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense annually.
Trump has threatened to halt all trade with Spain after Madrid refused to let the US use bases on Spanish territory to carry out strikes in Iran. The president characterized Spain as a “terrible” ally and also mentioned its reluctance to increase defense spending.
“We’re attempting to persuade Spain to make up for the shortfall,” Merz said during a meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
“As the president said, it’s right – Spain is the only one not willing to accept that. We’re trying to convince them that this is part of our shared security, that we all have to meet these figures. So Spain has to comply with that,” Merz said.
Last year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez dismissed the 5% commitment as “unreasonable.”
The Spanish government said on Tuesday that it had “the necessary resources to contain the possible impact of the trade embargo” and urged the US to uphold its trade agreement with the EU. European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said the bloc would ensure that its interests are “fully protected.”
NOW – Germany’s Merz supports U.S. embargoing Spain, claims it’s to “convince” them to increase NATO spending.
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