European Commissioner for Defense Issues Andrius Kubilius stated that Spain will eventually be compelled to raise its defense spending to 3% of its gross domestic product.
He made this statement in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais, emphasizing that he welcomes the Spanish government’s intention to accelerate the growth of its defense budget.
Kubilius reminded that, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the upcoming NATO summit is expected to adopt a new target — setting defense spending at 3% of GDP for all member states.
He also stressed that Europe’s security is a collective responsibility: “If one country fails to invest sufficiently in defense, it weakens all other allies.”
Earlier reports indicated that in 2025, Spain will allocate an additional €2.08 billion to defense by redistributing budgetary funds toward Ministry of Defense procurement contracts.
Currently, Spain has the lowest defense spending among the 32 NATO members — just 1.3% of GDP. Reaching the minimum 2% target will require an annual increase in defense expenditures of around €10 billion. Nonetheless, Madrid has pledged to reach the 2% threshold well before the official 2029 deadline.
