Pedro Sánchez reaffirms Spain as a serious, responsible and committed NATO ally

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain receives NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, upon his arrival at Moncloa Palace (Pool Moncloa / Fernando Calvo)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has held a meeting with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, as part of the round of presentations to the allies.

The two leaders discussed geopolitical issues of interest to the Transatlantic Alliance, such as defence spending, strong support for Ukraine, the defence industry in Europe, the relationship between NATO and the European Union, as well as the Southern Neighbourhood and hybrid threats.

The President of the Government of Spain and the NATO secretary general discussed the relationship between the Alliance and the European Union, and shared the diagnosis that the European defence industry needs to be strengthened. Sánchez argued that it is important for NATO to continue to strengthen the strategic and complementary partnership with the European Union, as 23 of the 32 allies belong to the European Union. Pedro Sánchez has also been in favour of mobilising additional funds jointly and earmarking them to finance public goods such as defence-related projects.

Meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, at Moncloa Palace | Pool Moncloa / Fernando Calvo

Pedro Sánchez told Mark Rutte that Spain is a serious, responsible and committed ally within NATO, supportive in its contributions to Alliance missions and operations. In this regard, the president of the Government of Spain underlined our country's firm commitment to reach 2% defence investment by 2029.

The chief executive stressed that Spain has increased defence spending by 70% in the last decade, making it the third ally country that has increased it the most. The president of the Government of Spain also emphasised that security goes beyond defence spending, and pointed out that Spain is among the top ten contributors in absolute defence spending. Referring to the commitments made in Wales, Sánchez stressed that our country is the first in terms of percentage of defence spending on operations, spending almost ten times more than the average of the Allies. He also highlighted the fact that Spain participates in all of NATO's main missions.

Mark Rutte and Pedro Sánchez also discussed the situation in Ukraine, agreeing that Russian aggression is not only an existential issue for Ukraine, but also for Europe and the international community.

Pedro Sánchez told Mark Rutte that, now more than ever, Spain will stand by Ukraine and promote NATO unity in support of Ukraine, as unity remains the fundamental asset. In this regard, the president stressed that Spain's bilateral commitment to Ukraine is solid, and highlighted the value of sending military material worth 1 billion euros during 2024. "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and nothing about Europe's security without Europe," the president stressed.

In relation to the Southern Neighbourhood, the president of the Government of Spain told Mark Rutte of the need for NATO to pay attention to the South and in the Action Plan for the South, reinforcing political dialogue with partners and relevant actors in the region. The two men welcomed the appointment of a special representative for the region to deepen these relations.

Non official translation