Trump says NATO should weigh dropping Spain from alliance

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday the NATO alliance should weigh throwing Spain out of its membership ranks over a dispute about the Western European nation's lagging military spending.

Members of the security alliance agreed in June to sharply increase their military spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), delivering on a major priority for Trump, who wants Europeans to spend more on their own defense.

Trump, at the time, threatened to punish Madrid on trade for resisting the new target.

But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would not commit to the 5% target, calling it "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision."

At an Oval Office meeting with the leader of NATO's second-newest member, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Trump said European leaders need to prevail upon Spain to boost its commitments to the alliance.