Spain Wins Exemption From NATO's 5% Defense Spending Goal
Spain obtained an exemption from NATO's ambitious defense spending target of 5% of GDP after several days of diplomatic wrangling that drew scorn from Donald Trump, right before leaders of the military alliance gather on Tuesday.
'We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries of increasing their defense investment but we won't do it,' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday afternoon. The country can get defense expenditure up to 2.1%, 'nothing more, nothing less.'
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Tsikhanouski, known for his anti-Lukashenko slogan 'stop the cockroach,' was arrested after announcing plans to challenge the strongman in the 2020 election and shortly before the campaign began. He was sentenced to 19 years and six months on charges widely seen as politically motivated. His wife ran in his stead, rallying crowds across the country. Official results handed Lukashenko his sixth term in office but were denounced by the opposition and the West as a sham. Lukashenko has since tightened his grip, securing a seventh term in disputed January 2025 elections. Since mid-2024, his government has pardoned nearly 300 prisoners — including U.S. citizens — in what analysts see as an attempt to mend ties with the West. Tsikhanouski credited U.S. President Donald Trump with aiding his release. 'I thank Donald Trump endlessly,' Tsikhanouski said. 'They (the Belarusian authorities) want Trump to at least, a little bit, somewhere, to meet them halfway. They are ready to release them all. 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'Under no circumstances do I plan to criticize any Belarusians, condemn or complain about anyone," he said. Tsikhanouski says he will not stop fighting and wants to return to active work as both a political figure and a blogger. But he is skeptical that Lukashenko, now 70, will step down voluntarily, despite his age. 'I don't know anymore — will he go or won't he?' Tsikhanouski said. 'Many people say nothing will change until he dies. But I'm still counting on democratic forces winning.'
