Trump Renews Attack on Spain at NATO Summit, Orders Trade Halt

US President Donald Trump, at the NATO summit in Ankara, once again unloaded criticism on Spain over its defence spending and said he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt all trade with the country. According to Trump, Spain is a "terrible partner" in the alliance because it "doesn't participate and doesn't want to pay." A year ago, at the summit in The Hague, he had already threatened Spain with "horrible tariffs," but the threat never materialised into concrete measures.

What Trump Said

Trump launched a sharp attack on Spain at a press conference alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who stayed silent during his remarks. The US president is angered that Spain has not committed to raising defence spending to 5% of GDP and has not allowed the Morón and Rota military bases to be used for operations against Iran.

"Spain is a lost cause," Trump said. "They don't pay, they don't participate, I don't want anything to do with them," the US president added, accusing the Spanish government of treating Rutte "terribly." "These are bad people," he said. "They openly say they're not going to spend. There are other countries too, but Spain is especially hostile," Trump continued. Earlier at the same meeting, he had criticised the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.

How Madrid Responded

The Spanish government responded quickly. "Spain takes these statements calmly," reads a statement from La Moncloa. "Our country maintains excellent social, cultural, and economic relations with the US, and we have no intention of changing that," it adds.

At the same time, government sources clarified several points. The US has a trade surplus with Spain, meaning it's the Americans, rather than the Spanish, who benefit more from the relationship. The European Union is a trading bloc within which no individual member state can be singled out, as the European Commission has repeatedly stressed. Economic ties are built by private companies, not governments.

Sánchez's Position at the NATO Summit

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wants to show that the country is meeting its NATO commitments — both on investment (2% of GDP, enshrined in the 2026 budget) and on developing military capabilities.

Regarding yesterday's gala dinner, sources reported that Sánchez sat next to the leaders of Canada, Poland, Finland, and South Korea. "There was a friendly atmosphere at the table, relaxed conversation on various international topics," government sources said, adding that Sánchez also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This isn't the first time Trump has made statements against Spain at a NATO summit. A year ago, during the alliance's meeting in The Hague, the US president already threatened Spain with "horrible tariffs." That threat was never carried out.