The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has attended the NATO Summit, where he announced that Spain will join the Forward Land Forces mission in Finland launched by the North Atlantic Alliance, with the aim of strengthening surveillance, deterrence and rapid response capabilities in the Arctic region and the High North.

Group photo of the Heads of State and Government of NATO Member States |Pool Moncloa/Carlos Herrero, Pool OTAN y Pool Presidencia Turquía- 08.07.2026

Beştepe Presidential Complex, Ankara (Türkiye)

The president stated that this contribution demonstrates that "Spain's firm commitment to NATO and to the 360° approach is total and absolute". He also highlighted the need to achieve "a stronger, more effective and more European NATO" at a time when "the world is going through one of its most turbulent periods since the end of the Cold War".

He also emphasised that Spain is "more than fulfilling" its investment commitments and modernising the deterrence capabilities required by the Alliance. "Spain has come to this NATO Summit having done its homework, satisfied with the consensus reached on this year's declaration, and determined to continue providing unwavering support to its allies", he stated after the meeting.

Spain has achieved its targets with a level of compliance higher than the European average, ranking seventh out of the thirty-two allies in terms of targets met. Pedro Sánchez noted that this strong performance is also reflected in the various NATO missions and operations where Spain has deployed nearly 3,000 troops.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, at the working meeting of the North Atlantic Council| Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig

This increased effort in defence spending has been made possible by solidifying the investment of 2% of GDP, a commitment Spain made at theprevious year's summit. "It is also because we are spending more wisely," the president emphasised, highlighting the commitment to domestic and European industry and the increased synergies in projects with other allied countries, whilst ensuring that investment in defence is compatible with strengthening public services, providing humanitarian aid and tackling the climate emergency.

In the industrial sphere, Pedro Sánchez reaffirmed Spain's clear stance in support of "burden-sharing", in light of the United States' partial withdrawal from Europe. "We believe that responsibilities need to be rebalanced and that Europe must be more self-reliant in the field of security. It must be capable of defending itself and protecting its interests beyond its borders", he said. He also emphasised that the allies have agreed to boost joint procurement, lower trade barriers and invest more in innovation to improve production efficiency and speed. In this regard, he stated that Spain can contribute leading companies and a privileged geopolitical position.

The Alliance has given fresh momentum to its support for Ukraine, and President Sánchez highlighted that Spain ranks eighth among NATO allies and fifth among EU members in terms of support provided to Ukraine in 2025, with a total contribution of €3.8 billion since the conflict began and the training of 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers. "Spain may be geographically far from Russia and the Eastern Front. We are also far from the Middle East. But we are very close to our allies and to the values and objectives that inspired the creation of the EU and NATO", he affirmed.

Finally, he reaffirmed that "Spain is a peaceful and pacifist country" and also a reliable ally that honours its commitments within the Alliance and upholds the security guarantees for the Spanish people. "The ultimate goal of all our actions must, logically, be to put an end once and for all to the wars ravaging the Middle East and the Eastern Front of the European continent", he concluded.