Spain does not foresee negative consequences for not meeting the NATO spending target of 5% of GDP. The country's government assures that it will fulfill all obligations regarding military capabilities without reaching this level.
At the NATO summit in The Hague, an increase in defense spending to 5% of GDP is being discussed, causing controversy among member states. Ukraine remains on the periphery, and its Euro-Atlantic integration is effectively frozen due to the position of Trump and Germany.
More than 50 Colombian soldiers were abducted by civilians in the mountains, a common practice in conflict regions. The Minister of Defense condemned the actions, attributing them to groups, while the President called for the release of the captives.
On June 24-25, a NATO summit will be held in The Hague, where the main issues will be a new defense budget of 5% of GDP and the war in Ukraine. Spain has expressed reluctance to increase spending, and a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council is not planned.
Spain has agreed with NATO to be exempt from the requirement to spend 5% of GDP on defense, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called "disproportionate and unnecessary. " The country claims it can fulfill its obligations by spending 2.1% of GDP and had the lowest share of defense spending in the Alliance last year - 1.28% of GDP.
European NATO allies are concerned about the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Europe amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. After the summit, allies will pledge to spend 5% of GDP on defense, then the US will present a military review.
Spain is blocking a new NATO agreement to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, as demanded by Donald Trump. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez considers the commitment "unreasonable and counterproductive," which has angered other members of the Alliance.
Spanish TV channel RTVE demands to check the tele-voting, conduct an audit and review the Eurovision jury system. They are concerned about the impact of the war on the results of the competition.
Pedro Sánchez insists on uniform rules for all participating countries, as was done with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. He calls for an end to double standards in culture.
The Spanish government is advancing a plan to reduce the working week from 40 to 37. 5 hours. On May 6, the Cabinet of Ministers will discuss the project before sending it to Parliament.
Experts believe that the Spanish power grid could not cope with the large amount of solar energy, which led to the shutdown of 15 GW. The need for more stable energy sources is being considered.
China plans to lift sanctions on five members of the European Parliament who have criticised human rights abuses. This could open the way for trade talks between the two sides.
The Prime Minister of Spain has stated that they are investigating the causes of the power outages in Spain and Portugal. The authorities have created a commission that will examine the role of private energy companies.
The President of Ukraine emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between the countries of the Three Seas Initiative. Zelenskyy proposed to join efforts in energy, transport and backup power.
In Spain, 99. 16% of the power supply has been restored. The cause of the massive outage may have been the disappearance of 15 gigawatts of electricity from the grid, which is being investigated.
Western Europe is gradually recovering from a massive power outage. In Spain, more than 35% of capacity has been restored, and in Portugal, 2.5 million consumers have been reconnected to electricity.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered Spain assistance in connection with the large-scale power outage. Ukrainian specialists are ready to join the restoration of the Spanish energy system.
A state of emergency has been declared in Spain due to a nationwide power outage. An emergency government meeting is addressing the situation, with millions of people without electricity.
Ursula von der Leyen has announced the European Commission's readiness to help restore energy supplies to the Iberian Peninsula following a massive power outage. The Commission will coordinate recovery efforts.
Israel criticised Spain for rejecting the €6. 6 million deal, accusing Madrid of ‘sacrificing security considerations for political purposes’. Spain explained the decision by disagreeing with Israel's operations in Gaza.
China's exports rose 12. 4% in March due to US tariffs, imports fell 4.3%. The trade war affects markets and shipyards, and China is seeking support in Asia.
Thousands of people in 40 cities in Spain took to the streets to protest, demanding a 50% reduction in rent, an end to evictions and greater control over the real estate market. More than 15,000 protesters gathered in Madrid.
Spain allocates a new €1 billion military aid package to Ukraine, including armored vehicles and ammunition. The two countries also agreed to open a “Unity Center” for Ukrainian immigrants in Spain.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a new package of military aid for Ukraine. Support in the amount of €1 billion will be provided in 2025.
The presidents of Lithuania and Latvia, the prime ministers of Estonia, Spain, and Canada, as well as EU leaders arrived in Kyiv on February 24. They were met at the train station by Andriy Yermak and Andriy Sybiga.
The President of the European Commission announced further support for Ukraine and the need to strengthen the EU's defense. At a meeting in Paris, European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peace based on Ukraine's sovereignty.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Europe wants peace based on international order. The summit in Paris will discuss the war in Ukraine and the European security architecture.
An informal meeting of the heads of government of eight European countries on Ukraine will be held in Paris. The meeting will be attended by EU and NATO leaders, including Macron, Scholz and other senior officials.
The President of Ukraine had a conversation with Pedro Sanchez to deepen bilateral cooperation. Zelenskyy informed about his recent conversation with Trump and discussed initiatives to support Ukrainians.
The Spanish government has approved a reduction in the working week from 40 to 37. 5 hours without changing wages. The proposal must be approved by the parliament, where there are already disagreements over its support.
