Sánchez confirms Spain's participation in NATO’s PURL program

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain has joined the PURL initiative to purchase American weapons for Ukraine.

Sánchez informed reporters of this on Thursday, October 23, reports El País.

Spain has joined the PURL initiative

Sánchez noted that the Spanish government initially hesitated to join PURL, and that the decision was made against the backdrop of tensions between Washington and Madrid.

"I had the opportunity to speak with President Zelensky and informed him that Spain will join this program," the Prime Minister said in response to journalists’ questions.

Tension between the US and Spain

It is well known that US President Donald Trump has long criticized Spain for failing to increase its military spending in accordance with NATO commitments.

Ahead of the EU summit, Trump called Spain a "non-team player". Trump also suggested excluding the country from NATO.

In response, Sánchez emphasized that Spain has increased its defense budget since the beginning of his term. He said that the previous government did not fulfill its obligations to NATO.

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