Spain reached a deal with NATO to be excluded from a 5% of GDP defense spending target, days before the military alliance's leaders will gather at a summit, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Sunday.

Nato decisions are only taken by consensus. Sánchez’s opt-out rests on a change in the text from “we” to “allies” in the sentence referring to the pledge to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035, said two officials involved in the negotiations.

Spain agreed with the NATO military alliance to be excluded from spending 5% of its gross domestic product on defence, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday.