EL PAÍS offers the latest news from the NATO summit free of charge. If you want to support our journalism, subscribe.

Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo avoided commenting on US President Donald Trump's threats to"make Spain pay double" for refusing to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP."Spain is the only country that won't pay the full amount. They want to stay at 2%; it's terrible," the American stated, announcing that he will double the planned tariffs on Spain if Pedro Sánchez's government ultimately refuses to adhere to that percentage and that he will negotiate"directly" with Sánchez. Cuerpo noted, however, that the tariff negotiations"are taking place within the framework of the European Commission, which is responsible for negotiating on behalf of all member states, not just Spain." NATO members agreed at the summit held in The Hague to allocate 5% of GDP to military spending. Spain has obtained flexibility that will allow it to allocate a smaller budget, which it claims is sufficient, to meet its military objectives. After signing the agreement, Sánchez insisted that the controversial spending Spain has estimated—2.1% of GDP—is"sufficient, realistic, and compatible" with the Spanish social model.

El País

After Trump's threats to NATO, Cuerpo recalls that tariff negotiations"are taking place within the framework of the European Commission"

The Spanish Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, has avoided commenting directly on the threats by the US President, Donald Trump, to"make Spain pay double" for not wanting to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. The minister has stated that the negotiations “are taking place within the framework of the European Commission, which is responsible for negotiating on behalf of all Member States, not just Spain.”

Asked in Paris, where he participated in the 12th edition of the Paris Forum, about Trump’s words about Spain at the end of the NATO summit, Cuerpo has pointed out that Spain in the Atlantic Alliance “is a reliable partner, a stable partner that will fulfill its commitments” and that it will “cover the [defense] capabilities that are needed and to which we have committed.” He also stressed that “Spain is an essential partner in this transatlantic relationship” between the European Union and the United States, which from a commercial perspective is “the most important in the world” and “a treasure to be protected.”

“For us, it is extremely important that within this framework of negotiation of this bilateral relationship between the European Union and the United States we continue to make progress towards achieving an agreement that is fair and balanced,” he stressed, before adding that the United States is already applying tariffs of 10% to all products across the board, 50% to steel and aluminum, and 25% to automobiles. When asked whether the United States could apply specific tariffs to Spain, the minister returned to his message that the negotiation is between the European Commission and the United States and did not want to go into the question of whether those tariffs could be imposed on the main products that Spain sells to it.

Cuerpo will arrive tomorrow Thursday from the French capital to New York, where he will hold meetings with the private sector, but not with representatives of the United States Government, as he has specified. (Efe)

Published at: 19:57 CEST 25/06/2025

El País

The Ibex experiences its worst session since Trump's tariff offensive after the White House threats linked to defense spending

In a new unexpected turn of events for the stock market, the combination of forces exerted on the Ibex has led to its worst session since April 9. The Spanish market lost 1.59% on the day, heavily punished by the banking sector and Iberdrola in a session that, on paper, should be marked by the easing of the de-escalation in the Middle East conflict. But, paradoxically, the stock market has fallen more than on days of geopolitical instability, just a few points above 13,800. The decline for the Spanish stock market is, in fact, the largest since the day Donald Trump reversed his tariff offensive in the face of market chaos.

Published at: 19:00 CEST 06/25/2025

El País

Silvia Ayuso Carlos E. Cué Macarena Vidal Liy

NATO has ensured that its summit in The Hague marks a turning point in the collective defense of the most powerful military alliance in the modern world. The 32 allies have finally signed an agreement to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade. Spain has also signed it, despite its reluctance to commit to spending that it considers unnecessary and politicized, and which has prompted a threat from US President Donald Trump to make it pay for its refusal with tariffs. Published at: 18:32 CEST 06/25/2025 El País

US President Donald Trump announced during a press conference at the end of the NATO summit in The Hague that he will double the tariffs he had planned to impose on Spain, after Spanish President Pedro Sánchez expressed his opposition to spending 5% of national GDP on defense.

El País

Feijóo, on the NATO agreement: “The farce is over. Sánchez signed the 5%”

The leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has stated on social media that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has been the protagonist of a “farce”: “He signed the 5%,” he stated in reference to the defense investment agreed upon at the NATO summit.

Sánchez, in the press conference he gave in The Hague at the end of the summit, said that this has been a success for Spain, for NATO, for the security of all and for the welfare state, and he has ratified that Spain will not spend more than 2.1% of its GDP on defense, following an endorsement given to it at the summit. Despite Sánchez's statements, all allies (including Spain) supported a final declaration expressing their"unwavering commitment to collective defense" and reaching an investment of 5% of their GDP in defense, but in terms that, according to the Spanish government, allow for ambiguity and leave no obligation to reach that percentage. (Efe)

Published at: 17:39 CEST 06/25/2025 and modified at 17:40 CEST 06/25/2025

El País

Zelensky describes his meeting with Trump as"long and substantial"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the meeting he held in The Hague with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, as"long and substantial." According to Zelensky, they discussed"how to achieve a ceasefire and real peace" and "how to protect" the Ukrainian civilian population."We covered all the really significant issues," he stated on social media after the meeting, adding that he would provide more details on the meeting's content.

The Ukrainian also praised Trump for"the attention and willingness to help bring peace" that he believes the US president is showing. Zelensky had announced before the meeting that he planned to discuss with Trump the possibility of the United States imposing new sanctions to force Russia to declare a ceasefire. Another priority for the Ukrainian president was to once again personally ask Trump to accept Ukraine's offer to purchase a new package of military aid from the United States, which has not approved any new shipments since the change of occupant in the White House and has not yet responded to this proposal from kyiv.

In a press conference, Trump assured that"the meeting could not have gone better" and insisted that he hopes the war ends."I'm going to talk to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin to see if we can end it," declared the US president. The Republican pointed out that 7,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers died last week on the front lines."It's crazy, it's crazy. Now I'll talk to Putin. I had a good meeting with Zelensky, and I had very good meetings," he emphasized. (Efe) Published at 17:32 CEST 25/06/2025 and modified at 17:35 CEST 25/06/2025

Macarena Vidal Li and Carlos E. Cué

Extension | Trump threatens Spain:"They're the only one that refuses to pay. We're going to make them pay double."

Everything was going more or less well at a very delicate summit for Spain, the only country that rejects the demand to increase defense spending to 5%, until Donald Trump spoke and declared a kind of political war on Pedro Sánchez. Trump announced that, in retaliation for Spain's position at the NATO summit, he will double the planned tariffs on Spain so that it pays double, but in a different way."They're the only one that refuses to pay. We're going to make them pay double." "What they've done is tremendous. They're the only country that won't pay everything; they'll stay at 2%, so they're going to pay through trade," threatened Trump, who asserted that the Spanish economy is"doing very well, but could be devastated if something happens." Trump added that he will negotiate "directly" with Sánchez. Published at: 4:59 PM CEST 06/25/2025

Trump threatens Spain: “They are the only ones that refuse to pay. We are going to make them pay double”

US President Donald Trump has announced that he will double the planned tariffs on Spain if Pedro Sánchez’s government refuses to allocate 5% of GDP to military spending, the agreement reached by the members of the Alliance at the summit held in The Hague.

“Spain is the only country that is not going to pay the full amount. They want to stay at 2%, I think it’s terrible. And their economy is doing very well, but it could be unbalanced if something bad happens. They are the only one that is not going to pay everything, so we are going to compensate them. You see, we are negotiating a trade agreement with Spain. We are going to make them pay double. And I mean it. We are going to make them pay,” declared the president in his press conference after the summit in The Hague.

“They want to get away with it a bit, but they They're going to have to pay back through trade, because I'm not going to let that happen," the president insisted. In a subsequent statement, he specified that he himself will handle those trade negotiations."And then they're going to have to pay more," he maintained.

Published at: 4:32 PM CEST 6/25/2025 and modified at 4:51 PM CEST 6/25/2025

El País

Trump considers the defense spending agreement"a monumental victory for the US"

US President Donald Trump has welcomed the agreement by which NATO members commit to increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP."It's a monumental victory for the US because we were paying much more than our fair share. And it was quite unfair," the Republican stated. “It’s a very important historic milestone. Something that was never thought possible.” Published at: 4:08 PM CEST 6/25/2025 and modified at 4:11 PM CEST 6/25/2025

Bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelensky concludes

The bilateral meeting between the presidents of the United States, Donald Trump, and Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has concluded after 50 minutes of conversation, according to the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspline. Neither leader made any statements at the beginning or at the end of the meeting, which comes after Trump canceled the meeting that both had planned in Kananaskis, Canada, during the G-7 summit, the world’s richest countries. So the American decided to rush back to Washington to manage what would eventually become his country's bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities.

At the bilateral meeting, Zelensky wanted to discuss with Trump the possibility of Ukraine purchasing weapons from the United States. The American has so far avoided approving further shipments of US weapons to the occupied country. The Ukrainian leader also wanted to persuade the White House tenant to approve more sanctions against Russia. Published at: 15:53 CEST 06/25/2025 and modified at 15:55 CEST 06/25/2025 El País Macron sees it as an “aberration” to ask Europe for more defense while Trump launches a tariff war French President Emmanuel Macron has called it an “aberration” to ask European NATO member countries to spend more on defense while tariffs are increasing. “We cannot say that we are going to spend more, and then, in the heart of NATO, launch a trade war,” Macron said, referring to the increase in tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. “It is an aberration, and that is why it is very important that we can return to what should be the rule for all allies: a true trade peace, lowering all tariff barriers that exist or that have been reinforced,” said the French president. Macron said he had raised the issue several times with Trump. Speaking to reporters after the NATO summit in The Hague, Macron said the final declaration between the 32 members shows Europe is strengthening its position within NATO after pledging to increase defense spending by 2035. (Reuters) Published at: 15:46 CEST 25/06/2025 and modified at 15:48 CEST 25/06/2025 El País

Sánchez says he has not “had the opportunity to greet” Trump. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has spoken out about the statements made by the US President, Donald Trump, in which he criticized Spain’s contribution to NATO. “I have not had the opportunity to greet him or exchange a few words with him. But all the Member States know of Spain’s guarantee and confidence in NATO.” Asked if he had avoided meeting Trump, he replied: “It was a coincidence that I was not able to greet him.” Regarding the US President’s statements in which he asserted that Spain was a “problem” for the NATO agreement, Sánchez replied: “Spain is always the solution, it is never the problem.” President Sánchez wondered where the resources would come from if Spain had committed to 5% of GDP. “If there were another Prime Minister today, Spain would have signed,” said Sánchez. “And that would be a complete mistake.” Published at 3:22 PM CEST on June 25, 2025 and modified at 3:30 PM CEST on June 25, 2025

Trump says he 'of course' supports NATO's mutual defense article

US President Donald Trump has said he"of course" supports Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty, which requires mutual defense."If I didn't support it, what would I be doing here?" he asked, during a bilateral meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

Published at: 15:17 CEST 25/06/2025

Rutte: Spain is “serious” with its commitment to defense spending

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has expressed his conviction that Spain is “serious” with its commitment to spending, despite continuing to maintain that it does not need to spend the 3.5% set at The Hague to meet its agreed military capability targets. 

“We can agree to disagree, that they believe they can reach their capability targets with 2.1% spending. NATO says it has to be 3.5% like all the other allies,” Rutte recalled at the final press conference. 

He recalled that part of the agreement is that “all allies must report on how they are reaching the capability targets,” indicating that it will be possible to analyze at that time whether Spain really meets them with the spending it plans. Furthermore, he recalled, in 2029"we will review everything", so that at the latest by that date adjustments may be demanded, both upwards and, eventually, downwards.

Published at: 15:04 CEST 25/06/2025 and modified at 15:20 CEST 25/06/2025

El País

After signing the agreement, Sánchez defends that the 2.1% of GDP promised by Spain is"sufficient, realistic and compatible" with the social model

After signing the agreement with the rest of the NATO members, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, defended that dedicating 2.1% of GDP to defense is"sufficient, realistic and compatible" with the social model and the welfare state in Spain. The countries of the Atlantic Alliance agreed today in The Hague to increase defense spending to 5%, although Sánchez previously agreed to maintain it at 2.1%."Spain is firmly committed to these capacity targets and will meet them in a timely manner," Sánchez argued."After this summit, NATO wins, Spain wins, and security and the welfare state win," the Spanish president asserted. “NATO is united and emerges from this summit stronger in the face of the challenges facing Europe and the transatlantic relationship.” Asked about the difference between the 2.1% of GDP that Spain is committed to and the 5% of the rest of the members, he stated: “I quote NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte verbatim: 'The declaration we have approved today will give Spain the flexibility to determine its own path to achieve its capabilities objectives and determine the annual resources needed as a percentage of GDP.” Published at: 15:02 CEST 25/06/2025 and modified at 15:24 CEST 25/06/2025 El País

Rutte: “The decisions taken today make NATO stronger”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in his speech after the plenary session of the summit in The Hague that “the decisions taken today make NATO stronger,” referring to the commitment made by members to increase their defense spending to 5% of national GDP.

“This will drive a major advance in our collective defense and will allow us to grow our defense industries to guarantee greater security and, in turn, will boost new jobs. We have also reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine. All of this is crucial and means that no matter the challenges, this alliance is always ready to react and ensure that our citizens can continue to live in peace and security,” he said. added. 

Published at: 14:48 CEST 06/25/2025

El País

Macron says that “Europe will invest more in defense” due to the “lasting threat posed by Russia”

French President Emmanuel Macron has assured that “Europe will take care of its part and invest more in defense”  in view of the"threat from Russia." "We have been experiencing this for several years, but this third Russian war in Europe has motivated this decision, it allows us to identify this lasting threat that puts our borders at risk. We want this to become the main concern of Europeans and it justifies long-term rearmament, because it is a war that will continue," said the French president.

He also added:"The United States is necessary to achieve a ceasefire with its deterrent capacity and using the credibility of the situation in Iran and Israel, and we Europeans must join in with the coalition of the willing that we created."

Published at: 14:36 CEST 25/06/2025

NATO agrees to increase its defense spending to 5% of GDP, the largest increase in the Alliance's history

The 32 NATO leaders have agreed in The Hague to the largest spending increase in the Alliance's history, which should reach 5% of GDP by 2035.

“Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually in core defense needs, as well as in defense and security-related expenditures, between now and 2035, to guarantee our individual and collective obligations, in accordance with Article 3 of the Washington Treaty,” states the Hague Declaration, issued at the end of the meeting in the Dutch administrative capital.

Following Spain’s refusal to commit to an increase in spending that it says is unnecessary and responds to political needs—to appease the United States—, the declaration has refined its language to avoid using terms such as “all,” a"we" or "each ally," which appeared in previous drafts, and thus be able to be signed by all 32 member states, despite the fact that Spain has simultaneously obtained flexibility that will allow it to dedicate a smaller budget, which it claims is sufficient, to meet its military objectives.

"The allies agree that this 5% commitment will include two essential categories of defense investment," the declaration states. The allies—in general, without specifying that they must be all—it adds,"will dedicate at least 3.5% of annual GDP to (...) net defense spending and to meet capability objectives." To this end, they agree to"submit annual plans showing a credible and incremental path to achieving this goal," to which is added another 1.5% in broader spending such as"infrastructure, defending our networks, ensuring civil readiness and resilience, driving innovation and strengthening our defense industrial base." The five-paragraph statement also includes the 2029 review clause. Published at 14:23 CEST 06/25/2025 and modified at 14:32 CEST 06/25/2025 El País

What has happened in the last few hours

These are the main news stories about the 33rd NATO summit at 2:00 p.m. this Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

Sánchez avoids contact with Trump at the NATO summit amid the controversy over increased defense spending . There have been no images of Sánchez greeting Trump, who on the flight to The Hague attacked the Spanish leader on social media and also in conversation with journalists.

Trump sends a message of reassurance to his NATO allies: “We are with them 100% . The day before, he had cast doubt on his commitment to the principle of mutual defense, by assuring that “it depends on the interpretation.” . This is exactly what the article says. .

Rutte affirms that there is “a concrete plan for all allies to spend 5%.” The NATO secretary general has praised the decision to reach 5% as being due to the leadership of US President Donald Trump. “You have made this possible,” the Dutchman celebrated, after praising him earlier in a joint press conference ahead of the plenary session.  

Belgium and Italy question whether Spain can ensure defense capacity with 2.1% of GDP . The Belgian prime minister has said that “there are no special deals” for any country and has ironically assured that “if Sánchez can comply with 2.1% he is a genius” while the Italian foreign minister has assured that “Spain will have to respect the rules”. 

Orbán says that “Russia is not a threat to Europe” . The Hungarian prime minister has assured that Russia “is not strong enough to be a threat to Europe. We are much stronger.” Published at: 14:00 CEST 25/06/2025

Marco Rubio: “I don’t think the agreement Spain has reached is sustainable”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubts that “the agreement Spain has reached” to receive an exception to the 5% of GDP military spending agreement among NATO countries “is sustainable.”

In an interview published by the online newspaper Politico on Wednesday, while the leaders participated in the alliance’s summit in The Hague, the US Foreign Minister pointed out that the exception “is a big problem.” “I don’t think the agreement Spain has reached is sustainable, and frankly it puts them in a very difficult position with respect to their other partners and allies.”

Spain “maintains that it can do it for less, but now faces serious internal political challenges. They have a center-left government that basically wants to invest very little or nothing in military spending. And they have been recalcitrant.”"It's a shame. Spain is a capable country. They send troops, they train soldiers, and they can do certain things," Rubio said. Published at 1:41 PM CEST on June 25, 2025 and modified at 2:18 PM CEST on June 25, 2025

Carlos E. Cué The Hague

Sánchez (right) and Trump (left) during the family photo with the other leaders of the NATO summit, this Wednesday in The Hague. / J.J. Guillén / EFE

Sánchez Avoids Contact with Trump at NATO Summit The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, avoided contact with Donald Trump in the moments leading up to the start of the NATO summit. There were no images of Sánchez greeting Trump, who lashed out at the Spanish leader on social media and in conversations with journalists on the flight to The Hague. The US president said that"Spain is a problem." Contrary to his usual practice, Sánchez sat down quickly and avoided the usual huddles between leaders, where he would have run the risk of crossing paths with Trump and the American making some kind of contemptuous gesture. At EU summits, for example, it is very common to see Sánchez, the first Spanish president to speak fluent English, chatting with all the European leaders in the minutes leading up to the summit. The Spanish president immediately sat down and spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was sitting next to him through a translator. At other summits during Trump's previous term, the American's gestures toward the Spaniard had already generated some controversy. On this occasion, Sánchez managed to avoid them, and they were not seen crossing paths at the gala dinner yesterday. There will be more occasions at the summit, but in the family photo, Sánchez was also seen avoiding contact with the leaders near him while others greeted each other. Published at 11:53 CEST 06/25/2025 and modified at 12:29 CEST 06/25/2025