Trump threatens to cut trade with Spain over NATO spending

At the NATO summit held on Wednesday in Ankara, President Donald Trump once again took aim at Spain. «Spain is a lost cause. It is a terrible ally. They don’t take part, they don’t pay. I want nothing more to do with Spain, and I don’t even intend to go back there», he told reporters.

Trump then instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to «immediately» prepare an executive order ending «all trade» with Madrid.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who had anticipated the criticism, responded by releasing a statement highlighting Spain's contributions to NATO missions, backed by official figures.

Asked about Trump's remarks, Sánchez said his government was reacting with «calm and patience». He also revealed that he had held an «informal conversation» with the US president, adding: «We talked about football. It was cordial.»

On Trump's trade threats, Sánchez stressed that trade policy falls exclusively under the authority of the European Commission. He nevertheless acknowledged that Spain runs a trade deficit with the United States.

Sánchez also noted that Washington was «sovereign» in deciding whether to reduce or withdraw its military presence in Europe. The United States maintains troops at two military facilities in Spain: the naval base in Rota and the Morón Air Base.

Last October, even before the outbreak of the war in Iran, Trump had already suggested expelling Spain from NATO. «Spain is dragging its feet. The country is doing well and has no excuse» for failing to meet the alliance's target of spending 5% of GDP on defense, he said, pointing to Spain's strong economic performance. Spain currently allocates around 2% of its GDP to defense.