European arms manufacturers across the continent face significant challenges in meeting NATO’s demand for a 5% GDP defense spending target, according to Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles. During a recent speech to the Senate Defense Commission, Robles emphasized that the current industrial capacity in Europe is insufficient to absorb such a substantial increase in military spending. She noted that even with increased funding, European defense companies struggle with a shortage of skilled workers and access to essential raw materials, making it difficult to scale production to meet the target.
Spain, which has historically allocated the lowest percentage of its GDP to defense among NATO members, has publicly criticized the 5% target, which was proposed by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Instead, Madrid has advocated for a more realistic increase of 2.1%. Robles argued that the comparison to other NATO countries like Poland is misleading, as Spain’s defense spending has been growing steadily in recent years.
The Spanish minister also highlighted Spain’s role as a reliable and responsible NATO ally, suggesting that Trump should have focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict rather than pressuring member states to increase military spending. The defense industry in Spain, she claimed, has no need for external lessons, and the country’s contributions to NATO have been significant despite its lower spending levels.
Meanwhile, Trump’s claim that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours has been challenged by both domestic and international observers, with many noting that the conflict has become more complex since his presidency began. Moscow views NATO’s intention to grant membership to Ukraine as an existential threat and characterizes the ongoing conflict as a proxy war waged by the bloc to the last Ukrainian.