
2 months · 2 summary articles
Trump orders halt to all U.S. trade with Spain at NATO summit
Trump calls NATO support "ridiculous" ahead of Ankara summit
Donald Trump stunned NATO allies on Wednesday by ordering an immediate halt to all U.S. trade with Spain, calling the country “a terrible partner” in the alliance and a “wasted cause” during the second day of the NATO summit in Ankara. Speaking to reporters outside the North Atlantic Council meeting, the U.S. president told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits,” and predicted Madrid would “come running back” once the economic pain became clear. “Spain is a terrible partner in NATO,” Trump said. “They don’t participate; they don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
The abrupt announcement capped weeks of escalating tension over Spain’s defence spending and its refusal to allow U.S. forces to use the key Spanish bases at Rota and Morón for operations related to the Iran conflict. Trump, who has repeatedly singled out Spain at previous summits, framed the trade embargo as leverage to force Madrid to increase military outlays and grant Washington broader military access. “All the others are paying and working,” he said. “Spain, especially Spain… they’re openly hostile.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who met Trump informally on the summit sidelines, insisted relations remained “very positive” and described their conversation as “informal and courteous with absolutely no tension.” Sánchez said the two leaders discussed the World Cup and golf, adding that any commercial dispute would be handled at the European Union level. “I am a social democrat, but I thought trade was done between companies, not between governments,” he told reporters.
The immediate economic stakes are substantial: U.S.-Spain trade totalled $75 billion in 2025, with Washington running a $3 billion surplus, according to congressional figures cited by POLITICO. Spanish exporters fear targeted sectors such as olive oil, ham, wine and machinery—worth roughly €17 billion annually—could face swift retaliation.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, present during Trump’s remarks, noted that Spain has significantly increased its military investment, a point Sánchez reiterated in Ankara. The Spanish leader also announced that Spanish troops will join a new NATO rapid-reaction force in Finland, underscoring Madrid’s commitment to the alliance despite the public spat.
EU officials in Brussels swiftly reaffirmed their backing for Spain. “The European Commission stands unwaveringly behind its member states,” a spokesperson said, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Ankara that Sánchez had explained Spain’s efforts to meet NATO targets and received “great approval” from Trump.
Analysts warn a full embargo would face formidable legal and political hurdles, risking a broader transatlantic trade war and roiling global markets. The U.S. Navy’s Naval Station Rota—home to Destroyer Squadron 60 and a critical Mediterranean logistics hub—would also be directly affected, complicating U.S. naval operations across southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
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