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A very big and internationally stirring news is coming out of the ongoing NATO summit in Türkiye. US President Donald Trump has opened a direct front against his own old ally Spain. Taking a very aggressive stance during the conference, Trump has ordered his officials that America should completely end all its trade and commercial relations with Spain with immediate effect. Trump claims that after this tough decision, Spain will automatically come running and pleading back to America.
Spain is a useless cause and a bad partner: Told frankly in front of NATO Chief
US President Donald Trump adopted this tough stance in the presence of NATO’s new Secretary General Mark Rutte. Trump openly described Spain as a very bad partner and a ‘useless cause’. He said that America no longer wants to do any kind of business with Spain.
Giving strict instructions to his officials, Trump said, “Immediately implement this order. Don’t even talk to them. They make a lot of money on our own, now let’s see how they earn. You keep watching, they themselves will come running back to us and say – please sir, we want to do business with you.” In fact, Trump has been angry for a long time that America is spending more from its own pocket on the security of NATO member countries, while other countries are reluctant to increase their defense budget.
Taking ‘special exemption’ on defense budget cost Spain dearly, this is the real reason for anger
There is a very big strategic reason behind this terrible anger of Donald Trump. In fact, Spain is the only NATO member country that has flatly refused to accept NATO’s new tough target of increasing its defense budget to 5 percent of GDP by the year 2035. Spain, in contrast, has obtained a special waiver, under which it will limit its military expenditure to only 2.1 percent of GDP.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Spain may have increased its military expenditure from 1.4% in 2021 to 2.1% in 2025, but it still remains in the list of countries spending the least on its defense among the entire NATO contingent. Trump is not liking this attitude of Spain at all.
America was not given any interest in Iran war, even stopped from using airspace
The script of this ongoing conflict between Spain and America was written some time ago. Recently, when the military conflict between America and Iran was at its peak, Spain took a very shocking step and completely stopped the American Army from using its military bases. Not only this, Spain did not even allow the American fighter planes going to attack Iran to pass through its airspace. Along with this, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, while publicly criticizing the attacks by America and Israel on Iran on the international stage, had called it a unilateral military action, which Trump has made his personal grudge.
Spain’s counterattack: We are part of the European Union, it is impossible to impose unilateral sanctions
The office of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also given a very strong and befitting reply to this sharp and insulting statement of Donald Trump. The Spanish government said that they are considering Trump’s statements as normal political rhetoric as usual and that they have no intention of breaking relations with the US.
Spain reminded Washington that the US itself was in a ‘trade surplus’ (advantageous situation) with Spain in terms of trade. Additionally, Spain raised obvious legal issues by saying that since they are official members of the European Union (EU) Customs and Trade Union, the US cannot impose any unilateral trade sanctions targeting Spain alone. Amidst this entire controversy, NATO chief Mark Rutte also defended Spain in front of Trump and said that Spain has crossed the 2 percent limit by increasing its military expenditure last year, which is a commendable step.