President Pedro Sánchez will respond to Donald Trump's criticisms at the NATO summit in Ankara by highlighting Spain's fulfillment of military capability goals.
The NATO summit takes place on July 7 and 8 in Ankara, Turkey. The Spanish government notes that Spain ranks seventh among the 32 members in fulfilling assigned military capability objectives and third in troops deployed on Alliance missions.
Moncloa sources indicate that closure of the US bases in Rota or Morón would have no consequences for Spain's defense thanks to Article 5 of the treaty. Spain maintains defense spending at 2.1% of GDP and rejects the 5% target.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that countries like Spain have increased defense spending partly due to the "Trump factor". He called for credible plans to reach 5% of GDP and compared Trump to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
