Trump had sharply attacked Spain at the NATO summit in Ankara and threatened to break off trade relations. The reason, he said, was that Spain rejects the NATO target of five percent of gross domestic product for defense spending and refuses the US bases in the Iran war. Sánchez told journalists he takes Trump’s words “with calm and patience.”
The Spanish premier reported that before the group photo, he chatted with Trump in a very relaxed and friendly manner about football and the World Cup. There were no tensions whatsoever. “On the contrary, there were only friendly words and courtesy,” Sánchez said. He emphasized that Spain is fulfilling its commitments to NATO.
Trump had worked himself into a rage about Spain at a press conference, calling the country a “lost cause” and a “terrible partner.” He threatened: “I want nothing to do with Spain.” In doing so, he overlooked that the US exports more to Spain than vice versa. Sánchez is considered one of the sharpest European critics of Trump’s foreign and military policy.
Source: Stadt München
