EU tells Spain to raise defense spending to 3% as Trump pressures NATO
By: bitcoin ethereum news|2025/05/04 02:00:05
0
Share
The European Union is complying with President Donald Trump’s demands and has started to push some member states to increase their defense budgets. On Saturday, the European defense commissioner called on Spain to raise its defense spending to 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP). Per Trump’s wishes, NATO members, including the entire European Union, should raise their defense spending target above 2% of national output. He even appealed to NATO members to raise their defense spending to as high as 5% of their GDP. Spain spent only 1.3% of their GDP on defense in 2024 The European defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius told the El Pais newspaper that Spain would have to spend at least 3% of its GDP on defense to avert the Russian threat to Europe. He claimed Spain’s government would have to “find a way to increase defense spending in the near future.” Spain’s defense expenditure in 2024 accounted for 1.3% of its GDP, the lowest any NATO member spent that year. Spain, however, did promise that it would meet NATO’s defense target expenditure of 2% of GDP this year, a goal it had originally set for 2029. The target change, however, did raise alarm, especially for the far-left Sumar party, the junior partner with the Socialists in Spain’s coalition government who disagree with the idea. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared a €10.5 billion investment plan last month to ensure the country fulfills its spending obligations. He stated that the plan would focus on telecommunications, cybersecurity, and acquiring military equipment. He explained that he saw the need for Spain to raise its defense budget, especially since Europe’s adversaries are expanding their arsenal to more than just missiles. Drawing from the Ukraine war, he pointed out that their “enemies” were using unmanned drones and paramilitary groups to disrupt supply chains, sever gas pipelines, and damage undersea cables. They also allegedly weaponized social media platforms to spread propaganda and disinformation and launched AI-driven cyberattacks on Ukraine. He added, “In a world that’s dominated by uncertainty, Europe is hope, and it is certainty – and that certainty must be protected by strengthening our security and defense systems because, given what’s going on, it’s obvious that only Europe will know how to protect Europe. And Spain will contribute to protecting Europe.” Moreover, he also argued that they would stand with Ukraine and that his country would fulfill its obligations to ensure the safety and security of Europe. He even asserted that his investment plan and increased defense spending would not burden nationals; there would be no tax rise or deficit increases due to it. The Sumar party, however, is still opposed to the plan, calling it “incoherent” and “absolutely exorbitant.” Donald Trump asked NATO allies to raise their defense budgets Barely a month after Trump assumed office, he began pressuring his NATO allies to raise their defense budgets, claiming the US had been left to foot most of the defense burden for far too long. He urged NATO members to raise their defense spending to 5% of their GDP. Responding to Trump’s request, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte encouraged other member states to increase their defense spending. He called for them to meet the 2% target by the summer before they can take on a higher target since they have to spend above 2% of their output. Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/eu-tells-spain-to-raise-defense-spending/
You may also like

From Mining Enterprise to Infrastructure Builder, Bitdeer Unpacks the Survival Logic behind BTC
Profit margins nearing the red line, miners are starting to use Bitcoin as fuel.

How Can Agentic Commerce Empower AI to Start Making Money?
The first wave of moneymaking AIs has arrived, which projects are worth paying attention to

February Correction: Is the Crypto Market Bottoming Out?
Based on historical experience, the most intense phase of this downturn may be about to end.

AI Payments Through the Lens of Fintech Giants: Five Levels, Stablecoin Infrastructure, Next-Gen Globalized Commerce
Stripe took fifteen years to turn seven lines of code into a business empire that powers 1.6% of the global GDP. Its next move is to define the next generation of global business rules.

Zuckerberg Retweets Stablecoin, Can Meta Win This "Comeback Game"?
Compared to the Libra era of 2019 when it attempted to disrupt the global financial system, the 2026 Meta is demonstrating a more stable and compliance-oriented approach.

Polymarket New Rule Release: How to Build a New Trading Bot
In 2026, a truly winning trading Bot is not the fastest taker, but the most excellent liquidity provider

Bitwise: The Institutional Wave is Here, So Why is the Market Still Sleeping?
There is a significant gap between the perceived cryptocurrency market and the actual cryptocurrency market.

WEEX LALIGA Partnership 2026: Where Football Excellence Meets Crypto Innovation
WEEX becomes official crypto exchange partner of LALIGA in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Discover how this partnership brings together football excellence and trading discipline.

AI Apocalypse, a massive short squeeze
AI is not the doomsday prophecy, but the dawn of a new era of abundance stemming from the collapse of cognitive cost.

The "Second Truth" of the Luna Crash: Jane Street Exits Ahead of Plunge
In the cryptocurrency industry that touts "decentralization," true asymmetry may have never disappeared.

Jane Street Market Manipulation, Stripe Considering Acquiring PayPal, What's the Overseas Crypto Community Talking About Today?
What Was Trending for Expats in the Last 24 Hours?
WEEX × LALIGA 2026: Trade Crypto, Take Your Shot & Win Official LALIGA Prizes
Unlock shoot attempts through futures trading, spot trading, or referrals. Turn match predictions into structured rewards with BTC, USDT, position airdrops, and LALIGA merchandise on WEEX.

a16z: Why Do AI Agents Need a Stablecoin for B2B Payments?
Smart contracts will be more like corporate entities, forming long-term relationships with their vendors and partners.

February 24th Market Key Intelligence, How Much Did You Miss?
1. On-chain Funds: $172.4M inflow to Ethereum this week; $233.9M outflow from Arbitrum
2. Highest Price Variation: $ESP, $MYX
3. Top News: AC's "Never Rekt" new project Flying Tulip has experienced a rug pull, currently priced at $0.0989

Web4.0, perhaps the most needed narrative for cryptocurrency
What is Justin Sun's All-in Web4.0 Vision?

Some Key News You Might Have Missed Over the Chinese New Year Holiday
On the day of commencement, should we go long or short?

Key Market Information Discrepancy on February 24th - A Must-Read! | Alpha Morning Report
1. Top News: Tariff Uncertainty Returns as Bitcoin Options Market Bets on Downside Risk
2. Token Unlock: $SOSO, $NIL, $MON

$1,500,000 Salary Job: How to Achieve with $500 AI?
The Essence of Agentification: Use algorithms to replicate your judgment framework, replacing labor costs with API costs.
From Mining Enterprise to Infrastructure Builder, Bitdeer Unpacks the Survival Logic behind BTC
Profit margins nearing the red line, miners are starting to use Bitcoin as fuel.
How Can Agentic Commerce Empower AI to Start Making Money?
The first wave of moneymaking AIs has arrived, which projects are worth paying attention to
February Correction: Is the Crypto Market Bottoming Out?
Based on historical experience, the most intense phase of this downturn may be about to end.
AI Payments Through the Lens of Fintech Giants: Five Levels, Stablecoin Infrastructure, Next-Gen Globalized Commerce
Stripe took fifteen years to turn seven lines of code into a business empire that powers 1.6% of the global GDP. Its next move is to define the next generation of global business rules.
Zuckerberg Retweets Stablecoin, Can Meta Win This "Comeback Game"?
Compared to the Libra era of 2019 when it attempted to disrupt the global financial system, the 2026 Meta is demonstrating a more stable and compliance-oriented approach.
Polymarket New Rule Release: How to Build a New Trading Bot
In 2026, a truly winning trading Bot is not the fastest taker, but the most excellent liquidity provider