Spain unveils €11bn plan to reach long-delayed Nato defence spending target

Spanish PM says industrial and technological plan' will ensure country commits to spending 2% of GDP on defence

Spain has announced a 10.5bn investment plan to ensure it will reach its long-delayed Nato commitment of spending 2% of its GDP on defence this year, saying it has become obvious only Europe will know how to protect Europe" from now on.

The country - which lags well behind other western nations by dedicating about 1.3% of its GDP to defence spending - is one of the Nato members that has been pressured by the Trump administration to increase its spending, and had previously committed to hitting the 2% threshold by 2029.