Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in Washington, DC on May 22, 2025. The two leaders discussed several key issues, including defense spending and cooperation on countering illegal immigration.
Rubio acknowledged and thanked Spain for fulfilling its prior pledge to hit a 2% defense spending target by 2025, but emphasized the need for further action. He stressed that while Spain has made progress in this area, more needs to be done to meet the international standard.
In addition, Secretary Rubio recognized Spain's robust cooperation on countering illegal immigration, highlighting the importance of this issue for both countries. The two leaders also discussed President Trump's decisive action to remedy the trade deficit with the EU, a topic that has been of interest to both nations in recent years.
Both leaders agreed on the urgency of ending the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and expressed their commitment to working together to address these pressing global issues.
The meeting marked an important opportunity for Rubio and Albares to discuss key areas of cooperation between the two countries.