Spain Calls on EU to Build Its Own Military Capacity

(MENAFN) Spain's foreign minister issued a blunt call Monday for the European Union to forge its own independent military capability, cautioning that wavering confidence in Washington's security commitments was leaving the door open for adversaries — above all Russia — to test Europe's resolve.

In an interview with media, Jose Manuel Albares delivered one of Madrid's sharpest rebukes yet of Europe's continued strategic dependence on the United States.

"We cannot be waking up every morning wondering what the US will do next," Albares said. "Our citizens deserve better."

A Turning Point for European Sovereignty
The remarks land at a moment of acute transatlantic anxiety, as governments across European capitals reassess the durability of the Western alliance against the backdrop of the Iran crisis and the political trajectory of a second Donald Trump presidency.

Albares framed the current juncture as nothing short of a defining moment for European independence.

"This is the moment of the sovereignty and independence of Europe. The Americans are inviting us to that," he said. "We have to be free of dependence. Free of dependence means to be free of coercion, whether it comes to tariffs or the use of military threat. And free of the consequences of someone else's decisions."

Not Anti-NATO — Pro-Europe
Albares was careful to draw a distinction between advocating for European defense self-sufficiency and undermining the broader Western alliance, pushing back against the suggestion that the two are incompatible.

"We need a military, a common defense capacity," he said. "The US have been making their army stronger and stronger and no one thinks that that weakens NATO. If NATO is not providing any more the security that was given before … (then) we have to do more as Europeans."

At the heart of his argument lay the concept of deterrence — the foundational logic that has kept NATO's mutual defense guarantee credible since the Cold War.

"The magic of NATO is that you are in NATO and nothing happens because no one dares to try to check if Article 5 really works or not," Albares said, referring to the alliance's collective defense clause. "That's what we have to recreate — the deterrence. That if you want to mess with me, go somewhere else. Because we will stand together."

US Remains an 'Essential' Partner
Despite the pointed tone, Albares stopped short of writing off the transatlantic relationship, insisting that Europe still regards Washington as indispensable.

"We really believe in transatlantic relations," he said. "For me, the United States is the historical natural ally of Europeans."

Yet he acknowledged the relationship had entered uncharted territory under the current American administration.

"We need both Europeans and Americans on board. And we have to accept that the Trump administration has a new vision and new ideas about transatlantic relations," he added.

Spain-US Tensions Simmer
The minister's remarks carry additional weight given the current state of Spanish-American relations. Madrid has refused US military aircraft access to its air bases during the ongoing conflict — a decision that has drawn a sharp response from Washington, including threats of a trade embargo, the withdrawal of American troops, and even the suspension of Spain from NATO.

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