Spain brushes off Trump’s threat to cut all trade as ‘expected’ after his NATO summit attack
The Spanish government responded calmly after President Donald Trump threatened to sever all trade with Madrid during a NATO summit in Ankara, calling the remarks ‘expected’ and stressing the strong bilateral ties.
Spain’s first reaction came swiftly after Trump’s comments on July 8, 2026, at the NATO summit in Ankara, where he told reporters and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that he had ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to examine cutting off all commercial relations with Madrid.
Trump’s Ankara outburst
During a joint appearance with Rutte, Trump called Spain “a terrible NATO partner” and said, “We no longer want to do business with Spain. They don’t participate, they don’t pay.” He later added, “Break off every trade transaction with Spain, including visits, see them come running back,” and described Spaniards as “bad people” while urging Rutte not to engage with Madrid.
I don’t want any business with them. Break off every trade transaction with Spain, including visits. See them come running back.
Madrid’s measured response
The office of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a statement saying Spain “welcomes the statements with calm and serenity” and that it views them as “business as usual.” The government stressed that “our country enjoys excellent social, cultural and economic relations with the United States, and it is not our intention for this to change.”
Our country has an excellent social, cultural and economic relationship with the US, and we do not intend for that to change.
Spanish officials further noted that the US actually runs a trade surplus with Spain, that the EU is a trade union where no member can be isolated, and that bilateral ties are beneficial in both trade and defense.
The defense spending dispute
The clash is rooted in long‑standing US pressure on European allies to increase defense budgets. Spain is the only NATO member that did not commit last year to spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035. During the war in Iran, Madrid also refused to allow Washington to use its airspace or bases, including the Rota naval base and Morón air base.
The Spanish government maintained a low‑key posture throughout, insisting that its strategic relationship with Washington remains intact and that economic linkages are woven by private companies, not governments.
