Maintaining US-NATO Alliance
Spanish Military Leadership Highlights Prioritizing US Transatlantic Link for NATO Summit
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Spain's top military officer declared on Tuesday that preserving the transatlantic link with the United States is "prioritary" — a direct message days before the NATO summit in Ankara. Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, the Jefe del Estado Mayor de la Defensa (JEMAD), made the statement at the XXXVIII International Seminar on Security and Defense in Toledo, according to Diario de Mallorca.
The remarks come at a tense moment. The U.S. has announced troop withdrawals from Germany, demanded European nations hit a 5% GDP defense target, and is conducting a six-month review of its military presence in Europe. The NATO summit in Ankara is scheduled for July 7–8, 2026.
JEMAD Calls the U.S. Link Essential for Deterrence
López Calderón told the Toledo seminar that "security is no longer a good guaranteed by third parties — it is a shared responsibility that requires a greater own effort," according to El Periódico. He argued that the EU and NATO should work as "mutual reinforcements," not rivals. The message was clear: Spain wants to keep American military power inside the alliance, not push it out.
The Navy Chief, Admiral José Antonio Piñeiro, backed that view. He argued that strategic autonomy does not mean rejecting U.S. systems. He pointed to Spain's F-100 and F-110 frigates as proof that using American technology can still build national defense capacity over time, according to Levante EMV.
Spain's Spending Dispute Puts It in Washington's Crosshairs
At the 2025 Hague Summit, NATO allies pledged to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Spain was the only member to win a formal exemption, agreeing instead to a cap of 2.1%. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez argued that "capabilities matter more than percentages," according to La Provincia.
Spain did reach 2.1% of GDP in 2025 — up from 1.24% in 2024, totaling roughly $35.6 billion. But that still puts it near the bottom of NATO's compliant members. Poland leads the alliance at 4.48% of GDP. President Trump has branded Spain a "low payer" and hinted at trade retaliation, according to El Correo Gallego.
Hegseth's "NATO 3.0" Puts U.S. Bases in Spain at Risk
On June 18, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told NATO HQ in Brussels that the alliance had been "a paper tiger and a one-way street." He launched a six-month review of U.S. troop positions in Europe — what he called "NATO 3.0" — where Europe must lead its own conventional defense, according to LNE.
The review puts Spain's Rota and MorĂłn air bases directly on the table. Hegseth signaled that base access must be "clearly delineated and assured." Spain's refusal to support U.S. strikes in Iran could complicate future negotiations over those installations, according to El DĂa.
At Home, Spain's Military Faces Pressure From Both Sides
Defense Minister Margarita Robles has walked a difficult line. She defends the transatlantic link but also criticizes U.S. unilateralism: "We want a NATO in which no ally makes less of another," she said in April. The opposition Partido Popular accuses her of "inconsistency" — defending the alliance while attacking its strongest member, according to El Periódico de Aragón.
On the left, coalition partners in Podemos and Izquierda Unida are pushing for a referendum on NATO membership, citing the 40th anniversary of Spain's 1986 vote to stay in the alliance. Spain currently has 4,000 troops deployed across 14 international missions, including leading the NATO Multinational Brigade in Slovakia, according to Diario CĂłrdoba.
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