President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for an immediate cessation of all trade with Spain, expressing frustration over the country's lagging defense spending within NATO and its perceived lack of support in the U.S. war effort in Iran. The remarks were made during the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey.
"Spain is a wasted cause," Trump stated during an official greeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. "We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore. By the way, I'd like you to cut it up. Scan, Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits."
Spain is the only member of the 32-nation alliance that has not committed to the 2030 target of dedicating 5% of its Gross Domestic Product to defense spending, a goal agreed upon at last year's summit. The U.S. contributes the largest share of NATO's direct funding, approximately 15%, according to the bloc.
Trump reiterated past threats to end trade with Spain, referencing a March incident where Spanish officials indicated they would not permit U.S. use of bases in southern Spain for strikes not sanctioned by the U.N. Charter. "They make so much money with us, and we're going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them," Trump said.
Sources at the Spanish prime minister's office responded to Trump's comments, stating that Spain "maintains an excellent social, cultural, and economic relationship with the U.S., and it is not our intention for that to change."
Trump also broadly criticized NATO allies for not supporting the U.S. in its conflict with Iran, claiming that only smaller, more vulnerable nations had offered assistance. "There was calls made a few weeks ago," Trump said, alleging he spoke with the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. "Nobody wanted to help. Some of the very small countries wanted to help, because they're the most vulnerable."
He further expressed dissatisfaction with the alliance's broader contributions, suggesting the U.S. has disproportionately funded European defense against Russia without reciprocal support. "They weren't there for us, and we've been there for them," he said. "We spent over a trillion dollars over the last short period, trillion in order to protect these countries from Russia, and has nothing to do with us."
During the summit, Trump also renewed his interest in the U.S. acquiring Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whom Trump shook hands with, had previously stated that "Greenland is, of course, not for sale."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged Trump's success in encouraging allies to increase defense spending, noting that even Spain had made a significant commitment to reach 2% of GDP. "And you mentioned Spain, even you got Spain to pay 2% they spent, they made a huge step in last year, so there are still issues we have to solve, but hey, also, even Spain, I would say they got to the 2%," Rutte said.