Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump escalated the dispute with the alliance partner. Standing alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Republican said Spain was a “terrible partner.” He did not specify concrete measures to implement a trade halt.
The Spanish government reacted calmly. The office of Pedro Sánchez said it treated the remarks as routine. Spain maintains excellent social, cultural, and economic relations with the United States, and it does not want to change that.
The conflict stems from several points of contention. Trump accuses Spain of spending too little on defense: the country refuses to meet NATO’s target of five percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Sánchez called that target “not only unreasonable but even counterproductive” and wants to keep spending at 2.1 percent of GDP.
Adding to the tension is the Iran war. Spain banned the United States from using its airspace and bases for military operations, arguing that the US action was not covered by international law. Spain also recognized Palestine as a state and imposed an arms embargo on Israel, while Trump firmly stands by Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu.
A complete US trade halt against Spain would likely face legal hurdles. Spain is a member of the European Union and the European single market. The EU Commission has jurisdiction over trade matters—it negotiates and speaks for all member states. Trump had previously threatened additional tariffs or expelling Spain from NATO.
Source: Tagesschau
