Spain rejects Nato plan for member states to spend 5% of GDP on defence

Pedro Sánchez spending 5% of GDP on defence would be incompatible with Spain’s welfare state and its vision of the world. Photograph: Shutterstock

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has rejected Nato’s proposal for member states to increase their defence spending to 5% of their GDP, saying the idea would “not only be unreasonable but also counterproductive”.

Sánchez said that he was not seeking to complicate next week’s Nato summit in The Hague, but he wanted there to be a “more flexible formula” that would either make the target optional or allow Spain to opt out.