Spain will rapidly increase its military spending rate this year to reach the 2% of GDP target set for NATO
Spanish spending spike to help hit NATO budget target this year
Cynics might say they're late to the party, but let's just appreciate EU standing together at least.
The €10.5 billion boost ($12 billion) in defense spending will raise the Spanish total to €34 billion ($39 billion) for this year.
I'm not a fan of people and governments buying weapons but this will definitely aid in keeping Russia away.
Most of the increase is slated to go towards defense against hybrid warfare, so more tracking bot farms and cable cutting ships than guns n' ammo
Which makes sense. Madrid is further from Berlin than Moscow is from Berlin.
If Russia wants to attack from the sea they would either need to pass the Bosporus and then around Italy, or in the North past all the Batic and Scandinavian countries.
The only EU country further away from a direct confrontation with Russia is Portugal.
Well Russia is using bot farms and cable cutting ships, so if you'd ask me that counts to keeping Russia away :)
Yup, it'll genuinely help all of NATO while not riling up the local anti-military sentiment, which is very strong since there was mandatory conscription up until 1975 or so.
Yeah, it makes logical sense.