American President Donald Trump criticized Spain for not allocating 5% of its GDP for defense spending, considering that it is not a 'team player' within NATO. In a statement from the Oval Office, alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, Trump emphasized that the Secretary General of the Alliance will need to discuss this issue with Spain.
Although Spain has committed to allocate 2.1% of its GDP for defense, Trump pointed out that this percentage is insufficient and threatened to exclude the country from NATO. Rutte confirmed that he had discussions with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and mentioned that Spain should meet the targets set by the alliance. Although NATO accepted the 2.1% formula, there will be a periodic review of commitments.
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