Spain plans to buy F-35 fighter jets, manufactured by the US-based Lockheed Martin, according to a report today by El País, citing government sources it did not name.

The government had committed 6.25 billion euros in its 2023 budget for the purchase of new fighter jets. However, it plans to spend in Europe the bulk of the additional 10.5 billion euros to be given to defense. As a result, the acquisition of US fighter jets became impossible.

Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced plans earlier this year to increase defense spending to meet NATO‘s target of 2% of GDP for defense spending. But at the June summit of heads of state, he refused to increase spending to 5%.

The stance of Pedro Sanchez has drawn strong criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose additional tariffs on Spanish goods.

Spokesmen for Spain’s Ministry of Defence and Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.