U.S. President Donald Trump said he would halt trade with Spain over Spain's defense expenditure issue.
According to U.S. political outlet Politico on the 8th (local time), President Trump said ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Türkiye, "I have not spoken with Spain, and Spain is a wasted cause."
Trump also said, "We no longer want to do any trade with Spain." He added, "I'd like you to halt trade (with Spain) as well." This can be interpreted as directed at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The conflict between President Trump and Spain began at last year's NATO summit. NATO set a new goal of defense expenditure at 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. But Spain, alone among NATO members, expressed its refusal, drawing strong backlash from the United States.
In response, President Trump threatened retaliation with tariffs. However, given that Spain is a member of the European Union (EU), some said it was uncertain whether Trump's remarks could be carried out.
At the time, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also criticized President Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. Sánchez also barred the United States from using Spain's military bases.
President Trump said, "Spain is a terrible partner in NATO," adding, "Spain neither participates nor pays expenses." He specifically said, "I don't want to have any relationship with Spain," in effect calling for halting all trade, including visits, between the United States and Spain.
He said, "We'll see whether we maintain a hostile stance even later when Spain calls and says, 'Please, we want to trade with the United States.'"