Spain will increase its military presence in NATO
Defense Minister Margarita Robles has announced that Spain will increase its military deployment to NATO, as has been requested of the other European allies, in response to the restructuring announced by the United States, which will result in a reduced presence in Europe. The new contribution, which adds to the approximately 3,000 troops already deployed on Alliance missions, will include three additional tanker aircraft, eight fighter jets, and a frigate equipped with air defense systems.
Robles participated today in Brussels in the meeting of NATO defense ministers, where discussions focused on the contributions of new capabilities that each European ally can make to replace those of the United States. A large group of European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, will participate in this process. «Regardless of any other considerations, Spain's commitment [to NATO] is total,» Robles reiterated, also highlighting the role Spain is playing in supporting Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
“I believe no one can find fault with, or find any obstacle or inconvenience to, Spain’s participation in missions, which has been total and absolute,” he emphasized, referring to the 3,000 soldiers deployed abroad under NATO command, with a particular presence on the eastern flank against the Russian threat. He also cited the deployment of the Patriot battery in Turkey, “which played a very important role” during the Iran-Iraq War, as well as the missions in Lithuania and Slovakia.
Robles recalled that Spain fulfilled its commitment last year to invest 2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in military spending, a commitment it will repeat in 2026. «We are going to maintain it,» she affirmed. «We have always said that this is not a matter of quantity, and it has even been said here that it is not a matter of a certain percentage, but rather a matter of meeting objectives, and today we are meeting them,» she concluded.
Speaking to the media during the meeting of NATO defense ministers taking place this Thursday in Brussels, he announced that Spain will contribute three more tanks, eight fighter jets and a frigate with air defense systems, military capabilities that are added to those already deployed and to the missions «in all areas» in which the Spanish Armed Forces are present.
In this regard, he explained that Spain currently has more than «3,000 trained men and women who are already active» in the NATO Force Model, which is the framework that determines the personnel and resources that would be available to allied countries in the event of an attack or conflict.
Robles conveyed this new Spanish contribution to her counterparts during the North Atlantic Council meeting, which brings together the 32 NATO ministers, at a time when the rest of the European allies are also offering new capabilities to try to compensate for the US military readjustment, all in coordination with the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Alexus G. Grynkewich.
«I believe that no one can find any fault, any obstacle, any inconvenience to Spain's participation in missions, which has been total and absolute,» the minister asserted, recalling that the Spanish Army has been deployed on missions in the Baltic, the Arctic and even on NATO's eastern flank.
He also highlighted «what Spain is doing in relation to Ukraine,» which, he said, «is greatly appreciated by the Ukrainians.»
«So, regardless of any other considerations, Spain's commitment is total,» Robles continued, revealing that this very Thursday Spain received «public thanks» from the countries that have Spanish troops on their territory or «that have a commitment to have them.»
RESPONSE TO THE US ADJUSTMENT
Robles' statements come after the United States informed allies last month that it will reassign a significant portion of the military assets it maintains deployed in Europe and Canada to other regions of the world, such as the Indo-Pacific, thus reducing its participation in the NATO Force Model.
Faced with this situation, European allies are already working to replace the United States forces, a process in which Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and «quite a few other countries» will participate.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has defended the US troop redeployment plans, calling them «a sign of success» in the organization's evolution and arguing that, far from being «a problem,» it is positive that European allies «share responsibility more equitably» for Europe's security.
He also downplayed concerns about the readjustment of US military capabilities in Europe, confirming that, as a «planning tool,» the allies would immediately increase their resources in the event of a war.