Spain Called For The Creation Of A Unified EU Army

• 13.05.2026, 12:16

Europe can no longer rely entirely on Washington.

Spain has called on European Union countries to create a unified European army amid growing distrust of the United States and concerns about the future of NATO, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said. He says Europe can no longer rely entirely on Washington for security. "We can't wake up every morning and wonder what the U.S. will do next," Albares said ahead of an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, writes Politico.

The Spanish foreign minister says European countries need to create their own military forces and a common defense system to be prepared for possible threats from Russia and other states. Albares said the creation of a European army should not be seen as an alternative or a threat to NATO. "If NATO no longer provides the degree of defense it used to, then Europeans must do more themselves," the minister said.

The policies of the Donald Trump administration are raising serious doubts in Europe about American support. Trump's statements about the need to reduce the military presence in Germany and rebukes to NATO have become a cause for increased tensions. The US president has repeatedly criticized allies in the alliance and allowed the possibility of Washington's withdrawal from NATO. Spain's foreign minister said the new international crisis has pushed the EU toward greater strategic independence.

Spain remains one of the harshest critics of U.S. policy in the Middle East. Madrid has denied U.S. warplanes access to its bases for operations in Iran, prompting sharp opposition from Donald Trump.