Pedro Sánchez will skip Donald Trump's UN General Assembly reception in New York citing scheduling conflicts

Government confirms absence

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will not attend the reception hosted by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening during the high-level week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. Government spokesperson and Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz confirmed the decision on Tuesday, explaining that the invitation arrived last week when the delegation's schedule was already finalized. The reception is set to begin at 19:00 local time in New York (01:00 Wednesday in Madrid). Moncloa officials stated that while Sánchez has no public engagements scheduled at that hour, he will attend an unlisted private event. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected claims by domestic commentators that the decision represents an intentional political snub.

Neither the Prime Minister behaves in that way, nor is Spain's foreign policy designed in that way.

Packed schedule at the 81st UN General Assembly

Spanish officials emphasized that Sánchez faces a dense sequence of international commitments during his stay in New York. His public agenda for Tuesday begins at 15:00 Spanish time with the opening session of the General Debate at the UN General Assembly. Later in the evening, Sánchez is scheduled to attend a 20:00 tribute to the feminist activist Gloria Steinem, who died earlier this year. At 21:00, he will participate in an event focused on the protection of children in the context of artificial intelligence. His final public engagement of the day is a 22:00 meeting with the Sustainable Development Goals advocate group regarding development financing.

Coalition backing and diplomatic friction

The decision drew explicit support from Sumar, the junior partner in Spain's governing coalition. Sumar spokesperson Verónica Martínez Barbero welcomed the absence, arguing that Trump frequently directs hostile rhetoric toward Spain. Más Madrid lawmaker Tesh Sidi described the event as Trump's personal gathering, arguing that democratic leaders should decline such appearances.

We do not have to go there to laugh at his jokes because, really, the greatest enemy of democracies, journalism, and the rule of law is Mr. Trump.

The diplomatic absence takes place against a backdrop of persistent friction between Madrid and Washington. Recent tensions have centered on Trump's demand that NATO allies raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, as well as Spanish refusal to allow national military bases to be used in US military operations against Iran.

Precedents and bilateral engagements

Spanish attendance at the annual US presidential reception at the UN has varied across recent administrations. In 2023, Sánchez attended the reception hosted by Joe Biden, but he skipped the 2024 gathering due to a scheduling clash with his official address to the UN General Assembly. In 2025, King Felipe VI represented Spain at Trump's reception as the leader of the national delegation. Despite skipping Tuesday's reception, Sánchez will remain in New York for further meetings. On Wednesday at 14:30 Spanish time, he will attend a breakfast hosted at Gracie Mansion by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Global Progress Foundation, joining around 40 leaders to discuss economic policy.