Spain has recently come under scrutiny after US President Donald Trump criticized its defense spending and mistakenly identified it as a member of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies. Trump's comments were made in response to a question about countries not meeting the 2% GDP defense spending target set by NATO.
Trump incorrectly stated that Spain was a BRICS nation and threatened to impose high tariffs on its business with the United States. However, Spain's Education Minister Pilar Alegría promptly corrected the mistake, highlighting Spain's significant contributions to NATO.
Alegría emphasized that Spain is the eighth-largest economic contributor to the alliance and has over 3,800 troops deployed in various missions. She reaffirmed Spain's commitment to NATO, stating that the country has consistently demonstrated loyalty, responsibility, and dedication as a partner.
It is important to note that while Spain is not part of the BRICS bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, it is a member of NATO. According to NATO reports, Spain allocated 1.28% of its GDP to defense spending last year.
