U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday the NATO alliance should weigh throwing Spain out of its membership ranks over a dispute about the Western European nation's lagging military spending.
Members of the U.S.-backed security alliance agreed in June to sharply increase their military spending to 5% of gross domestic product, delivering on a major priority for Trump, who wants Europeans to spend more on their own defence.
But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at the time that he would not commit to the 5% target, calling it "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision."
At an Oval Office meeting on 9 October with the leader of NATO's second-newest member, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Trump said European leaders need to prevail upon Spain to boost its commitments to the alliance.
"You people are gonna have to start speaking to Spain," Trump said. "You have to call them and find why are they a laggard."
"They have no excuse not to do this, but that's alright. Maybe you should throw 'em out of NATO frankly," he added.
Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1982. The 32-member collective-defence alliance has been in focus since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and launched the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two.
Meanwhile, when asked whether Washington planned new sanctions on Moscow, Trump replied, “I might,” indicating that further measures against Russia were under consideration.
He also dismissed the idea of withdrawing U.S. forces from Europe, saying the American military presence would remain steady.
“We have a lot of troops in Europe, as you know — a lot — and we can move them around a little bit, but no, basically we’ll be pretty much set,” Trump said.
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The White House expressed optimism on Wednesday that the longest government shutdown in U.S. history could come to an end later in the evening, as lawmakers appeared ready to send the funding deal to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Turkish defence giant Baykar showcased its Bayraktar TB2, Akinci, TB3, and Kizilelma models at the BAMEX’25 expo in Bamako, Mali. The company provides advanced national unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to African countries, contributing to security and stability across the continent.
G7 foreign ministers and outreach guests gathered for a family photo during a ministerial meeting in Canada on Wednesday (12 November).
A source has confirmed to Anewz that all bodies of the 20 victims in the Turkish Military place crash have been recovered by search teams in Georgia's Sighnaghi municipality.
Two earthquakes centered in Cyprus on Wednesday were felt across northern and central regions of Israel, raising concerns among residents in both countries. The first tremor occurred at 11:31 a.m., with the epicenter near Paphos, Cyprus, at a depth of 21 kilometers.
Georgian Interior Minister Geka Geladze has visited the site of the Turkish military helicopter crash in Sighnaghi Municipality, near the Georgia–Azerbaijan border.
Mali's Prime Minister, General Abdoulaye Maiga, sharply criticised France and Algeria on Tuesday (11 November) for allegedly supporting terrorist groups operating in the Sahel region. His comments came during the opening of the Bamako Military Exhibition (BAMEX).
Anewz correspondent Nini Nikoleishvili reports from site of crashed Turkish military plane in Sighnaghi Municipality, saying that limited visibility and rugged terrain are slowing down recovery efforts.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s coalition has come first in the parliamentary elections. Sudani was seeking a second term, but many young voters viewed the ballot largely as a vehicle for established parties to divide Iraq’s oil revenues.
The combined death toll from Typhoon Fung-wong and Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has reached 259, with 114 people still reported missing, state media says.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio may face questions from allies at a Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada on Wednesday (12 November)
The White House expressed optimism on Wednesday that the longest government shutdown in U.S. history could come to an end later in the evening, as lawmakers appeared ready to send the funding deal to President Donald Trump for his signature.
G7 foreign ministers and outreach guests gathered for a family photo during a ministerial meeting in Canada on Wednesday (12 November).
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