Spain has called for the creation of a new European army amid growing fears Donald Trump could abandon NATO and leave the continent exposed to Vladimir Putin. Jose Manuel Albares, Spain’s foreign minister, said the European Union could no longer rely on the US-led military alliance for its security guarantees as tensions between Washington and its European allies deepen.
In explosive remarks that will alarm NATO traditionalists, Mr Albares said Europe must become “free of dependence” on America and build its own deterrent force capable of standing up to Russia without US backing.
He told Politico: “We cannot be waking up every morning wondering what the US will do next…our citizens deserve better.”
“This is the moment of the sovereignty and independence of Europe.”
The intervention comes as European leaders scramble to prepare for the possibility of Mr Trump dramatically reducing US military commitments across the continent.
Mr Trump has repeatedly attacked NATO allies over defence spending and has demanded that members commit 5% of GDP to their armed forces. Spain has refused, placing Madrid directly in the firing line.
The US president has reportedly threatened punitive tariffs against Spain and hinted American troops could be withdrawn from bases there. He has also clashed bitterly with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Mr Trump.
Mr Albares warned Europe could not allow its security to be “held to ransom” by political shifts in Washington.
“Free of dependence means to be free of coercion, whether it comes to tariffs or the use of military threat,” he said.
The Spanish minister argued the EU should effectively create its own version of NATO’s famous Article 5 mutual defence pact — the principle stating that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
The comments are likely to ignite major divisions inside Europe.
While Brussels has increasingly discussed “strategic autonomy” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many governments remain deeply sceptical about replacing NATO structures with an EU army.
Critics argue Europe still lacks the military capabilities, coordination and political unity required to defend itself against a major Russian threat without American support.
Although the EU already has a mutual defence clause under Article 42.7 of its treaties, insiders admit it carries nowhere near the same deterrent weight as Nato.
Instead, most European governments favour strengthening existing national militaries within NATO rather than building a rival command structure.
European countries have already agreed major increases in defence spending, with billions set to be poured into air defence systems, long-range missiles and intelligence capabilities as fears over Russian aggression grow.
EU foreign and defence ministers are expected to hold fresh talks on military independence in Brussels this week.
The debate comes as relations between Europe and Moscow remain near breaking point more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also dismissed a reported Russian proposal for former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder to act as a negotiator between Moscow and the bloc.
She said Mr Schroder had effectively become a “high-level lobbyist” for Russian state-owned firms and questioned why Europe would allow the Kremlin to choose its representative.
