Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will meet NATO’s defense spending target this year as pressure grows on the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy and NATO laggard to boost its military expenditure.

The Spanish government will increase its spending on defense to the equivalent of 2% of its economic output this year, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.The government had previously promised to raise its spending to that level,

Italy will likely be able to increase its defense spending to reach a NATO target of 2% of gross domestic product as early as this year, Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said.