SPAIN has rejected a Nato proposal to spend 5 per cent of GDP on the military that’s due to be announced next week, calling it “unreasonable.”

In a letter sent today to Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Spain “cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP” at next week’s Nato summit in The Hague.

For Spain, ”committing to a 5 per cent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive,” wrote Mr Sanchez in the letter.

“It would move Spain away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU’s efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem.”

Most Nato governments are on track to endorse US President Donald Trump’s demand that they invest 5 per cent of gross domestic product on their defence and military needs. In early June, Sweden and the Netherlands said that they would aim to meet the new target.

Spain was the lowest spender in the 32-nation military alliance last year, directing less than 2 per cent of its GDP to the military.

Mr Sanchez said in April the government would raise defence spending by €10.5 billion (£8.3bn) this year to reach Nato’s previous target of 2 per cent of GDP.

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Nato’s 32 allies agreed to spend at least that amount on military budgets.

Nato claims defending Europe and North America against a supposed Russian attack require an investment of at least 3 per cent.

Poland and the Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have already publicly committed to 5 per cent and Mr Rutte has said that most allies were ready to endorse the goal.

A big question still to be answered is what timeframe countries will get to reach the new spending goals. A target date of 2032 was initially floated, but Mr Rutte has said that Russia could be ready to launch an attack on Nato territory by 2030.