Trump criticizes Spain during NATO summit
US President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Spain during the NATO summit in Ankara, calling the country a poor partner within the alliance. He said he wanted to stop trade relations with Spain and described the nation as a “wasted cause”.
The remarks came as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stood nearby. Trump also repeated his interest in making Greenland part of the United States, saying the territory was important for American security.
Spain responds calmly to Trump’s comments
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez later said relations between Spain and the US remained positive. He explained that he had a friendly conversation with Trump during the summit and that there was no serious disagreement between them.
Spanish officials said Madrid would handle the situation with patience and would not damage its strong economic, cultural, and social ties with the United States.
Defence spending remains a major disagreement
The disagreement between Trump and Spain is linked to several issues. Trump has been unhappy with Spain’s decision not to allow greater US military use of bases at Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base during operations connected to the Iran conflict.
He has also criticized Spain’s refusal to raise defence spending to 5% of its GDP. Spanish leaders have argued that this target is unrealistic and could harm other important areas of government spending.
Spain spent around 2% of its GDP on defence in 2025, meeting the previous NATO target.
Trade relations between Spain and the US continue
Trump made similar threats about stopping trade with Spain earlier in the year. However, no major trade changes followed those statements.
According to US congressional figures, trade between the two countries reached around $75 billion in 2025. The United States recorded a trade surplus of about $3 billion in the relationship.
The European Commission also defended the importance of EU and US trade ties. Officials said the economies of both sides are closely connected and that the European Union would protect the interests of its member states.
Trump repeats Greenland claim
During the summit, Trump again argued that Greenland was important for US national security. He said Denmark should not control the territory because it was more valuable to American interests.
However, leaders in Greenland and Denmark rejected the idea. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen repeated that Greenland was not for sale.
The European Commission also stated that decisions about Greenland should be made by Greenlanders and Danish authorities.
