https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed US President Donald Trump is withdrawing troops from Germany and has threatened to do the same in Spain. The impact of such an exit would be considerable, especially where the US military is stationed, but is it likely to ever happen? https://www.thelocal.es/20260507/what-would-be-the-impact-on-spain-if-the-us-military-left Thu, 07 May 2026 15:58:33 +0200 what-would-be-the-impact-on-spain-if-the-us-military-left Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez today stressed his country was a "reliable member" of Nato, after a report by the Pentagon suggested the United States was considering trying to expel Spain over its refusal to support operations in the Middle East war. https://www.thelocal.es/20260424/pm-stresses-spain-is-reliable-nato-member-after-us-expulsion-threat Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:44:51 +0200 pm-stresses-spain-is-reliable-nato-member-after-us-expulsion-threat Spain's reluctance to allow the US to launch attacks on Iran from American military bases on Spanish soil has reawakened interest in the purpose of these installations, their location and their history. https://www.thelocal.es/20241010/where-are-the-uss-military-bases-in-spain-and-why-are-they-there Thu, 10 Oct 2024 11:53:33 +0200 where-are-the-uss-military-bases-in-spain-and-why-are-they-there Following Iran's attack on a British military base in Cyprus, the first time the country bombs European soil, we find out whether Spain would be able to defend itself against a missile attack like Israel's 'Iron Dome' system does. https://www.thelocal.es/20241003/does-spain-have-its-own-anti-missile-iron-dome Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:58:36 +0200 does-spain-have-its-own-anti-missile-iron-dome European leaders, worried about threats from a nuclear-armed Russia and doubts about the future of US security commitments, are increasingly debating whether to bolster nuclear arsenals on the continent. https://www.thelocal.es/20260214/merz-says-in-talks-with-macron-on-european-nuclear-deterrence Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:11:12 +0100 merz-says-in-talks-with-macron-on-european-nuclear-deterrence The growing threat from Russia and the risk of renewed conflict in Europe have thrown a spotlight on the continent's varied military service models. https://www.thelocal.es/20251127/threat-of-war-which-countries-in-europe-have-military-service Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:37:47 +0100 threat-of-war-which-countries-in-europe-have-military-service President Donald Trump has again threatened Spain, saying on Tuesday he was considering tariffs on the country as a punishment for failing to meet the five percent of GDP defence spending goal he engineered within Nato. https://www.thelocal.es/20251015/trump-says-spain-should-be-punished-in-second-threat-over-nato-spend Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:05:37 +0200 trump-says-spain-should-be-punished-in-second-threat-over-nato-spend Drones flying over airports, commercial sites and other sensitive infrastructure in Europe is a growing phenomenon which EU leaders blame on Russia, and preventing the disruption they cause will prove a tough technical challenge, observers say. https://www.thelocal.es/20251011/how-can-europe-protect-its-skies-against-escalating-drone-menace Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:22:49 +0200 how-can-europe-protect-its-skies-against-escalating-drone-menace President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Spain be expelled from Nato over its failure to match the higher defence spending requirement he has engineered. https://www.thelocal.es/20251010/trump-says-spain-should-be-thrown-out-of-nato-over-low-defence-spend Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:12:07 +0200 trump-says-spain-should-be-thrown-out-of-nato-over-low-defence-spend Spain's drive to cut military ties with Israel over the devastating war in Gaza will face formidable hurdles as cutting-edge Israeli technology is embedded in the armed forces, experts say. https://www.thelocal.es/20250922/why-spain-faces-an-uphill-battle-to-cut-military-ties-with-israel Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:53:57 +0200 why-spain-faces-an-uphill-battle-to-cut-military-ties-with-israel The Spanish government has cancelled a contract worth nearly €700 million ($825 million) for Israeli-designed rocket launchers, as Pedro Sánchez attempts to drum up international support for sanctions which will end the suffering in Gaza. https://www.thelocal.es/20250916/spain-cancels-major-israel-arms-deal-amid-gaza-backlash Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:10:28 +0200 spain-cancels-major-israel-arms-deal-amid-gaza-backlash Spain has decided against purchasing US-made F-35 fighter jets and will instead opt for European-made options, the defence ministry said Wednesday, amid calls by Donald Trump for the EU to make investments worth $600 billion in the US. https://www.thelocal.es/20250806/spain-dumps-trumps-f-35-fighter-jets-for-european-models Wed, 06 Aug 2025 18:24:11 +0200 spain-dumps-trumps-f-35-fighter-jets-for-european-models Spain is resisting US President Donald Trump's demands to hike defence spending to five percent of national output, potentially threatening Nato unity at a crucial alliance summit this month. https://www.thelocal.es/20250618/why-spain-is-against-trumps-5-nato-spending-demands Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:35:41 +0200 why-spain-is-against-trumps-5-nato-spending-demands The second Trump administration's pivot towards the Pacific has left many in Europe wondering about the future of defence on the continent. Some in Spain even wonder whether a major military base in the country could be closed as a result. https://www.thelocal.es/20250509/will-trump-close-the-us-military-bases-in-spain Fri, 09 May 2025 11:35:06 +0200 will-trump-close-the-us-military-bases-in-spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez vowed Wednesday to unveil a national plan to boost Spain's defence sector as Europe grapples with an aggressive Russia and the potential loss of US security protections. https://www.thelocal.es/20250326/spains-pm-vows-to-boost-defence-without-it-affecting-welfare-spend Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:07:41 +0100 spains-pm-vows-to-boost-defence-without-it-affecting-welfare-spend Frightened by the prospect of US security disengagement and three years of Moscow's war against Ukraine, European countries are debating reinstating compulsory military service to boost their defences in the face of Russian aggression. https://www.thelocal.es/20250316/spurred-by-trump-turnabout-european-nations-debate-conscription Sun, 16 Mar 2025 10:12:09 +0100 spurred-by-trump-turnabout-european-nations-debate-conscription Spain's leftist government, proportionally Nato's smallest spender on defence, faces political and popular resistance as it aims to meet European calls to ramp up its military budget. https://www.thelocal.es/20250313/licking-us-boots-spain-divided-over-calls-to-raise-defence-spend Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:49:26 +0100 licking-us-boots-spain-divided-over-calls-to-raise-defence-spend Unlike some of its European allies, Spain has yet to commit to sending troops to Ukraine for a potential EU peacekeeping mission, but military sources suggest the Ministry of Defence is considering several scenarios. https://www.thelocal.es/20250310/spain-weighs-up-sending-military-personnel-to-ukraine Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:32:12 +0100 spain-weighs-up-sending-military-personnel-to-ukraine With an increasingly uncertain geopolitical picture, does Spain have enough soldiers, tanks and submarines to defend itself? And how does it rank compared to other countries? https://www.thelocal.es/20250306/how-powerful-is-spains-military Thu, 06 Mar 2025 16:27:43 +0100 how-powerful-is-spains-military Spain's allegedly rock-bottom defence spending has been repeatedly questioned internationally, and now more than ever as the EU realises it can't rely on Trump's US to defend Ukraine and Europe. But is Spain really the military “laggard” it’s portrayed to be? https://www.thelocal.es/20250218/is-spains-nato-defence-spend-really-as-low-as-trump-claims Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:46:19 +0100 is-spains-nato-defence-spend-really-as-low-as-trump-claims