President Donald Trump has issued a warning to Spain, hinting at the possibility of cutting off all trade relations and imposing potential embargoes against the NATO ally.
During a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the White House on Tuesday, Trump showed his displeasure towards Spain’s refusal to allow the use of its military bases. He asserted that the U.S. could still use these bases if it chose to, saying, “Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it.”
The president stated that he has instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings” with “unfriendly” Spain.
Trump also slammed Spain’s leadership, criticising their resistance to the increased NATO defence spending to 5% target. He declared, “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain; we don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
Spain, Germany Push Back On Trump
A spokesperson for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that any U.S. review of the trade agreement must respect private companies’ autonomy, international law, and existing EU-U.S. bilateral agreements, reported state broadcaster RTVE, citing a statement.
Meanwhile, Merz later told German broadcaster ARD that he rejected Trump’s threats to cut economic ties with Spain, saying Europe cannot be divided and that any agreement must include all EU member states.
It remains unclear how Trump plans to cut off trade with Spain, as the country is part of the European Union (EU), which negotiates trade agreements on behalf of all 27 member states.
US–Spain Rift Deepens
This development comes in the wake of previous disagreements between the two nations. On Monday, the Guardian reported that Spain denied the U.S. permission to use jointly operated bases, Rota and Morón, to attack Iran. This refusal followed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez‘s condemnation of U.S.-Israeli action.
Furthermore, in October, Trump had expressed his dissatisfaction with Spain over defense spending. Sánchez rejected Trump’s call to increase NATO defense funds, calling it “unreasonable” and “counterproductive.” He said Spain is seeking a more flexible approach that would make the target optional or allow the country to opt out.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by a Benzinga editor.
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