President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to end trade with Spain, citing a lack of support over the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the European nation’s resistance to increase its NATO spending.
“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
The U.S. president’s comments came a day after Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said his country would not allow the U.S. to use the bases in southern Spain in any strikes not covered by the United Nations’ charter. Albares noted that military bases it jointly operates with the US were not used in the weekend attack on Iran.
It is unclear how Trump would cut off trade with Spain, given that Spain is under the umbrella of the European Union. The EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of all 27 member countries.
