Trump Threatens NATO Expulsion for Spain Over Defense Spending Shortfalls: Implications for Alliance Funding Requirements

Former President Donald Trump made controversial remarks on Thursday suggesting Spain should potentially be expelled from NATO due to insufficient defense spending commitments.

In statements made from the Oval Office, Trump identified Spain as a "laggard" among NATO members regarding defense expenditure. "They have no excuse not to do this, but that's all right. Maybe you should throw them out of NATO frankly," Trump told reporters.

This comment follows a June agreement where the 32 NATO member nations committed to substantially increasing defense spending over the next decade. This commitment came after significant pressure from Trump, who had threatened potential trade penalties against Madrid for resisting the newly established target of five percent of GDP.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, leading a socialist government, has maintained that Spain would not need to meet this full percentage requirement. Historically, Spain has ranked among NATO's lowest contributors to defense spending in relative terms.

Trump has consistently suggested that the United States might withhold protection from European allies unwilling to increase their defense budgets. He successfully pushed through the commitment for NATO members to allocate five percent of their GDPs to security-related expenditures, viewed as essential for maintaining his engagement with the alliance.

This five percent target comprises 3.5 percent for core defense spending and 1.5 percent for broader security areas including infrastructure and cybersecurity. The new requirement replaces NATO's previous military spending goal of two percent, initially established in 2014.