NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Monday, June 23rd, that Spain was not exempt from a defence spending deal, after Madrid claimed it would not have to hit the alliance’s headline target of 5% of GDP.
“NATO has no opt-out,” Rutte said, on the eve of the alliance’s summit in The Hague.
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO allies commit to spending five percent of their GDP on defence at their two-day gathering in The Hague, starting on Tuesday.
NATO’s 32 allies have agreed to a compromise deal to dedicate at least 3.5% of GDP to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5% to broader security-related items like cybersecurity and infrastructure.
Rutte said that Spain had not been granted an “opt-out” from the pledge, despite Madrid claiming it had agreed it would not have to reach the headline figure of five percent.
“NATO does not have as an alliance opt-outs, side deals, etc., because we all have to chip in,” Rutte said.
