Trump Threatens to Cut Trade Ties with Spain Over NATO Spending Dispute

U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Spain on Wednesday during the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, threatening to sever trade ties with the country over what he described as Madrid's failure to meet its defense commitments within the alliance.

Spain's government quickly sought to downplay the remarks. The office of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as "business as usual," emphasizing that bilateral relations remain strong and mutually beneficial in both trade and security.

Speaking at the summit, Trump said he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to begin the process of cutting trade ties with Spain. According to the president, Madrid has failed to carry its fair share of the defense burden within NATO and has not met the level of military spending Washington expects from its European allies.

"Spain is a lost cause. We don't want to do any more business with Spain," Trump said. "In fact, I'd like to cut it off completely. Spain is a terrible NATO partner. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. End all trade with Spain, including visits."

The dispute comes amid a long-running disagreement between Washington and Madrid over Trump's demand that European NATO members significantly increase their defense spending and assume a greater share of responsibility for their own security. Spain has repeatedly rejected calls for a sharp increase in its military budget.

Responding to Trump's comments, the Spanish prime minister's office said it viewed the remarks as "business as usual" and stressed that Spain continues to enjoy excellent social, cultural, and economic ties with the United States.

Officials also emphasized that Spain has no intention of altering its relationship with Washington and that bilateral cooperation remains beneficial to both countries in the areas of trade and defense.

Tensions between the two allies are not new. In March, Spain informed the United States that it would not allow American forces to use joint military bases on Spanish territory for operations against Iran. Madrid also closed its airspace to U.S. military aircraft involved in the conflict, a move that further deepened disagreements between the two NATO allies.