- Title: "No change so far", says NATO official on US involvement during Spain drills
- Date: 29th March 2025
- Summary: AT SEA (MARCH 28, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SPANISH SOLDIERS ON BOARD OF FRIGATE DURING NATO'S 'DYNAMIC MARINER 25 DRILL' IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ARMY SOLDIER LOOKING AT OTHER FRIGATES VARIOUS OF SPANISH SUBMARINE IN WATER FRIGATES ARMY OFFICIALS STANDING ON FRIGATE DECK DURING DRILL VARIOUS OF FRIGATE SAILING PAST, DOZENS OF SOLDIERS STANDING ROTA, SPAIN (MARCH 28, 2025) (
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: NATO Rota naval base Spain defense drill military spending
- Location: ROTA, SPAIN & AT SEA
- City: ROTA, SPAIN & AT SEA
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Europe,NATO,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001253628032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: NATO's maritime allied reaction force (MARCOM) performed military drills on Friday (March 28) in southern Spain, involving naval forces from members including France, Germany Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
MARCOM Deputy commander, French Vice Admiral Didier Maleterre, said the United States army keeps supporting and contributing in these kind of drills.
"There's no change so far (with United States Army). There will be a new summit in June, there will be discussion about the capacity shared within NATO so there is a lot of discussion, if 2% GDP is enough. We know that through the regional plan, we need more to be able to deal with all the threats," Maleterre said.
Maleterre added such military drills aim to enhance NATO'S deterrence effect, to reassure members and to be ready to defend the Euro-Atlantic if it's necessary.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned the United States and Europe on Wednesday (March 26) against any temptation to "go it alone" on security, amid increased tensions over the future of the transatlantic alliance and diverging views on Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump this month cast doubt on Washington's willingness to defend NATO allies it deemed were not paying enough for their own defense, triggering alarm among European leaders as they try to shore up Ukraine in its fight against invading Russian forces.
Rutte's call for transatlantic unity came days after the Atlantic reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance had complained about European allies in a chat group. Hegseth expressed his "loathing of European free-loading," according to the Atlantic.
The drill took place as U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused Denmark, a NATO member, of not doing a good job keeping Greenland safe and suggested the United States would better protect the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has pressed to take over.
Vance's sharp attacks against Denmark - a longtime U.S. ally and NATO member - offered another example of the little regard the Trump administration holds for traditional U.S. alliances.
(Production: Mariano Valladolid, Aislinn Laing, Miguel Gutierrez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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