Spain’s government has responded with measured calm to Donald Trump’s explosive demand that all trade with the country be halted. The U.S. president made the remarks during a NATO summit in Ankara, ordering Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to immediately stop any commercial exchange with Madrid. Spanish officials insist that trade relations are governed at the level of the European Union, not bilaterally, and that both Washington and Madrid benefit from their economic and defense ties.
The confrontation erupted when Trump, speaking to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, described Spain as a country that “agrees to nothing” and called its leaders “hopeless people” and “bad people.” Turning to Bessent, he ordered: – I don’t want any trade with them, clear? Take care of it immediately. Don’t even talk to them. They are hopeless people. They are bad people. They make so much money off us, and we’ll make sure they make a lot less. I don’t want anything to do with them. – The U.S. president also repeated his characterization of Spain as a “terrible NATO partner.”
Madrid’s reaction, as reported by the EFE news agency, has been one of deliberate calm. Government sources emphasized that the United States concludes trade agreements with the entire European Union, not with individual member states. Spanish officials also pointed out that the United States actually enjoys a trade surplus with Spain, exporting more goods to the Iberian nation than it imports – a detail that undercuts Trump’s claim that Spain is profiting unfairly.
Spain’s calm response to trump’s tirade
The Spanish government stressed that the country maintains very good social, cultural and economic relations with the United States. By framing the issue as a matter of EU competence, Madrid effectively distances itself from a direct bilateral confrontation. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration has previously stated that it is willing to meet NATO’s defense spending goals at 2.1% of GDP, far below the 5% figure Trump has demanded from allies. Spain remains the only NATO member openly opposing the 5% target, arguing that its actual military commitments – including deployments on the alliance’s eastern flank – prove its reliability.
Tensions between Washington and Madrid have been building for months. The latest chapter was triggered several months ago when Spain refused to grant U.S. forces access to its military bases for operations against Iran. Madrid also closed its airspace to aircraft participating in those missions. It was then that Trump first threatened to “cut off all trade” with Spain. The current outburst at the Ankara summit appears to be an escalation of that earlier threat.
Background of tensions: bases, iran, and defense spending
American military presence in Spain dates back to the 1953 Madrid Pact, signed under the Franco regime. Today, two strategic U.S. bases operate in Andalusia: Morón Air Base and Naval Station Rota. Both are key components of NATO’s defense infrastructure. Despite the heated rhetoric, neither side has signaled a desire to dismantle this long-standing cooperation. Spanish media note that the bilateral relationship is far broader than the current political noise suggests, encompassing deep cultural and economic links.
The dispute over defense spending remains a fundamental sticking point. While the Trump administration has pressured all NATO members to reach 5% of GDP, Spain insists that its 2.1% allocation, combined with active participation in alliance missions, fulfills its obligations. Madrid argues that the real measure of commitment is not a percentage but the tangible contributions to collective security. For now, the Spanish government appears to be banking on the EU’s institutional framework and the mutual benefits of the U.S.-Spain economic relationship to weather the storm. Whether Trump will follow through on his threat or whether the incident will blow over remains to be seen.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
