U.S. President Donald Trump says he has ordered a cutoff of U.S. trade with Spain while speaking at a NATO summit in Ankara. Multiple reports state that Trump directed his Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, to end trade with Spain, describing Madrid as a “terrible partner” in the alliance and saying he wants “no business” with Spain. The comments were made as NATO leaders gather for the summit and Trump spoke alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the start of the meeting.
The reports tie Trump’s action to ongoing disputes with Spain over NATO burden-sharing and military cooperation. Sources say Spain has not agreed to NATO’s new defense spending target of 5% of GDP. They also cite Spain’s refusal—under its current Socialist leadership—to allow the United States to use Spanish airspace or bases as part of the Iran war. The outlets describe the trade move as a further escalation of a feud between Trump and Spain during the NATO meeting period.
