| Spain’s Exemption | Spain obtained an exemption from NATO’s ambitious defense spending target of 5% of GDP, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. In a letter we saw to NATO’s Mark Rutte, the Spanish premier committed to meeting the alliance’s new weapons and troop targets, but without agreeing to the price tag NATO had attached. Israel Reprimand | EU foreign ministers will discuss a report commissioned by the EU which found Israel may have broken the humanitarian terms of the accord that dictates their bilateral relations, we’ve learned. They’re set to discuss their next steps today in Brussels.
Deadline Approaches | The US is making demands in trade talks that the EU sees as unbalanced, unilateral concessions, we’re told. It sets up a tough decision over whether to move ahead with countermeasures if terms of any deal don’t improve. Stimulus Support | The European Central Bank needs to provide the economy with “further stimulus,” Governing Council member Mario Centeno told La Stampa. The Portuguese central bank chief’s term is due to end before the next rate decision and the government has yet to make a decision on his reappointment. | 
