Spain announces its joining of NATO’s Advanced Land Forces in Finland

Madrid, July 8 (KUNA) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Wednesday that Spain is joining the NATO Advanced Land Forces mission in Finland, reflecting Madrid’s commitment to strengthening the Alliance’s defensive capabilities and consolidating security in Northern Europe.

Speaking at a press conference in the Turkish capital, Ankara, after participating in the NATO summit, Sanchez said the mission aims to enhance surveillance, deterrence, and rapid response in the region. He emphasized that Spain’s participation embodies its “full commitment” to NATO in the face of security challenges.

He described the world as undergoing one of the “most turbulent phases since the end of the Cold War,” noting that this necessitates building a “stronger, more effective, and more European” NATO, in reference to the need to bolster the European role within the Alliance.

Sanchez added that Spain has fulfilled its defense investment commitments “beyond expectations,” stating that the country has reached the summit’s targets and “completed its duties.” In this context, he pointed out that Spain ranked seventh among NATO member states in implementing agreed military capability targets, noting that it currently deploys approximately 3,000 military personnel across various NATO missions and operations.

He stressed that maintaining defense spending at 2 percent of GDP has allowed for the enhancement of military capabilities while continuing to support public services, humanitarian aid, and climate change mitigation.

Sanchez called for strengthening European autonomy in security and defense amid a partial retreat of the U.S. military role in Europe. He noted that NATO leaders agreed to expand joint defense procurement, remove certain trade barriers, and increase investment in innovation to accelerate the production of defense industries.

Regarding Ukraine, Sanchez said Spain was the eighth-largest contributor to supporting Kyiv among NATO countries and the fifth-largest within the European Union in 2025. He noted that total Spanish aid since the outbreak of the war amounted to 3.8 billion euros ($4.3 billion), in addition to training approximately 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

In conclusion, Sanchez emphasized that Spain is “a peaceful country and a reliable ally that fulfills its commitments within the Alliance,” adding that the ultimate goal should be to end wars in the Middle East and on Europe’s eastern front. (End) H.N.D./M.A.A.