Dutch leaders urge Spain to drop resistance to NATO’s 5% defense target

The Netherlands remains hopeful that Spain will drop its opposition to a proposed increase in NATO defense spending, as all 32 member states prepare to meet in The Hague next week to reach a crucial agreement on raising the alliance’s defense budget target from 2 percent to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

“I expect we’ll come to an agreement with Spain,” said outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a separate press conference ahead of the NATO summit. Schoof stressed the importance of NATO presenting a united front, calling the 5 percent target essential in light of what he described as the "real threat" posed by Russia, NOS reports.

Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp echoed that message. “I sincerely hope Spain is aware of the importance,” he said, revealing that Dutch diplomats are engaged in intense back-channel negotiations with Spanish counterparts. Veldkamp has also personally called his Spanish colleague. “I appealed to their sense of solidarity,” he added.

The summit’s chances of success reportedly took a hit Monday when Spain publicly declared it does not intend to commit to the 5 percent target. The Spanish government has voiced concerns that allocating billions of additional euros to defense would jeopardize its welfare state. Officials warned that taxes would have to rise significantly and that funding for public services could be severely impacted.

Under NATO rules, any new agreement on defense spending must be approved unanimously. If even one member state refuses to sign on, the proposal fails, and government leaders may leave The Hague without a deal.

Time is running out. In four days, leaders from all 32 NATO countries will arrive in The Hague. That evening, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will host a state dinner in their honor. Formal negotiations begin Wednesday at the heavily secured World Forum convention center, under the leadership of former Dutch Prime Minister Rutte.

Schoof described the upcoming gathering as a “historic moment” for NATO. The alliance has been under growing pressure to bolster European self-defense amid escalating Russian threat and waning U.S. commitment to collective defense under President Donald Trump.

Trump has been a vocal proponent of raising the NATO defense target to 5 percent of GDP. Rutte has previously said that 3.5 percent of that target should go toward direct military spending—such as artillery, air defense systems, and personnel—while the remaining 1.5 percent could be used for defense-related investments, including cybersecurity and infrastructure improvements to roads and bridges.

Schoof acknowledged Spain’s concerns about the financial burden. “It’s a lot of money, and it has to come from somewhere,” he said. “Security and peace are the foundation of our existence. And deterrence is in the interest of that security.”

Intensifying aid to Ukraine is another top priority for the Dutch government at the NATO summit, but outgoing Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) does not expect a large new aid package to be announced. Individual countries, however, will likely declare additional support, and the Netherlands will unveil new assistance.

He stressed the importance of NATO countries reaffirming their support for Ukraine, which continues to struggle on the battlefield as Russian forces gradually seize more Ukrainian territory.

Germany and other European countries are expected to announce new military aid. New U.S. deliveries are not anticipated. According to Brekelmans, the Washington government has made it clear it expects Europe to take the lead in supporting Kyiv. The U.S. will continue fulfilling already promised deliveries.

Brekelmans declined to detail the new support the Netherlands will announce. The country is among the largest aid donors to Ukraine and one of the few to have supplied combat aircraft.

NATO members are reportedly still negotiating whether to reaffirm their support for Ukraine in the summit’s closing declaration. The U.S. reportedly resists this, aiming to maintain its role as mediator between Russia and Ukraine and avoid antagonizing the Kremlin. Most other member states insist on a strong statement. Brekelmans emphasized the need “that we collectively reaffirm, in broad terms, that we will continue to support Ukraine.”