• Pedro Sánchez calls for integrated EU military, citing Trump Greenland rhetoric
• Spain spends 1.3% of GDP on defence—well below NATO 2% target
• Proposal revives decade-old EU army debate amid fears of U.S. reliability

MADRID, SPAIN (TDR) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has publicly revived proposals for a fully fledged “European Armed Forces,” pointing to Donald Trump’s recent musings about taking Greenland by military means as evidence that Europe must be able to defend its interests without relying on Washington.

Speaking to parliament Wednesday, Sánchez said Europe “cannot outsource its security forever” and argued that integrating member-state militaries would “send a clear message that force, not tweets, settles European borders.”

“If a close ally speaks of sending tanks to seize part of a European realm, we need more than press releases—we need integrated commands, joint budgets and shared deterrence,” the socialist premier declared.

From Sound-Bite to Strategy?

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The call follows similar remarks this month by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who told reporters Madrid would “push hard” for a common defence command during Spain’s 2026 EU presidency. The pair have floated ideas ranging from a single EU defence budget to joint procurement of drones and satellite constellations.

Yet the pitch lands awkwardly: Spain’s own defence budget for 2026 is set at 1.3% of GDP—well below NATO’s 2% benchmark and the EU’s own 2030 target of 2.5%. Defence ministry documents show Madrid would need an extra €9 billion a year just to reach the alliance floor.

“It is hard to preach integration while under-investing at home,” said Félix Arteaga, defence analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute. “Rhetoric without resources breeds scepticism in Brussels and Washington alike.”

Trump as Catalyst, Not Cause

Trump’s suggestion last month that the U.S. might use military force to secure Greenland revived memories of his first-term “purchase” offer to Denmark. While Washington has not mobilised forces, EU capitals took note when the White House asked the Pentagon to brief options for “securing mineral assets” on the island.

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Greenland is an autonomous Danish territory, and Copenhagen is bound by EU treaties to consult Brussels on security matters. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen welcomed Spanish backing, but stressed any EU force would complement—not replace—NATO.

“NATO remains our shield, but European solidarity must be more than a slogan,” Poulsen said.

Spanish Hardware Gap

Spain’s armed forces have shrunk 12% since 2010. The army fields 327 Leopard tanks—only half are combat-ready—while the navy’s flagship aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I is in dry-dock until 2027. Air-defence coverage is patchy: just 13 Patriot launchers protect Spanish airspace, compared with 48 in Poland.

To plug gaps, Madrid has ordered 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets and four new frigates, but deliveries stretch to 2032. Defence Minister Margarita Robles admits “we need to spend smarter, not just more,” pointing to joint EU programmes such as the €100 billion Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the European Defence Fund.

“Pooling R&D is good; pooling rifles is harder,” Robles told lawmakers last week.

EU Institutional Hurdles

The EU already has defence mechanisms: the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the €8 billion European Peace Facility. But these are inter-governmental; an integrated force would require treaty change or a “permanent structured cooperation” (PESCO) core of willing states.

Spain leads one of 47 PESCO projects—an amphibious assault ship—but full command integration is blocked by differing procurement rules, language barriers and sovereign-veto traditions. Germany, while rhetorically supportive, fears a parallel structure that undermines NATO’s Article 5 guarantee.

“We want European strength, not European duplication,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in June.

Euro-Corps Model vs. EU Army

Pragmatists favour expanding the existing Eurocorps—a 1,000-strong Franco-German-Spanish-Belgian-Luxembourg force based in Strasbourg—rather than creating a brand-new army. Eurocorps can command NATO missions and is already certified for EU battle-groups.

Spanish officers hold 12% of Eurocorps posts and view it as a natural nucleus for deeper integration. Critics counter that Eurocorps lacks heavy lift, air-defence and satellite intelligence—assets only NATO can provide.

“Eurocorps is a scalpel, not a shield,” said Fernando Santamaria, senior fellow at the EU Institute for Security Studies.

Public Opinion & Parliament

A Eurobarometer survey released this week shows 58% of Spaniards favour “a European army” while 34% prefer NATO-only defence. Support drops to 42% when respondents are told it would require raising defence spending above 2% of GDP.

In Spain’s Congress, the centre-right Popular Party backs deeper EU defence cooperation but demands Madrid first reach the 2% NATO target. Far-right Vox calls the army proposal “sovereignty suicide.”

“We will not subordinate Spanish uniforms to Brussels bureaucrats until Madrid itself is properly armed,” said Vox defence spokesman Jorge Martín.

Financial Reality Check

The European Commission estimates a credible EU rapid-reaction force (20,000 troops, air-sea lift, satellites) would cost €25-30 billion a year—roughly what Europe now spends on imported energy in two months. Spain’s share, based on GDP, would be €3.5 billion—triple its current defence-budget increase trajectory.

Economists warn that without new EU-wide taxes (carbon border levy, financial-transaction tax) the plan is fiscally unrealistic. Paris and Berlin have floated euro-bond issuance for defence, but the Netherlands and Nordic states resist mutualising debt.

“Defence bonds only work if everyone pays, not just the big boys,” said Dutch Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag.

Next Steps

Spain will formally table the “European Armed Forces” white paper at the EU Defence Ministers’ meeting in September. If adopted, a roadmap could be ready by Spain’s EU presidency in 2026, with pilot projects on joint logistics and satellite command.

Yet veterans of EU integration caution that armies move slower than markets. “We integrated currencies in a decade; integrating armies takes generations,” said former NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana.

Will Greenland headlines translate into real European guns and budgets, or will the EU army remain a Brussels briefing-slide?

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