- Pedro Sanchez says US-Spain relations remain very positive despite President Trump's threat to cut off all trade.
- Trump called Spain a "terrible partner in NATO" and repeatedly accused it of insufficient defence spending.
- Imposing trade restrictions is complicated because Spain is an EU member with free movement of goods among 27 countries.
- It is unclear what authority Trump has after the US Supreme Court struck down his use of emergency powers to impose tariffs.
- Sanchez stressed Spain's NATO and Ukraine contributions, defence spending at two percent of GDP, and said his talk with Trump was friendly.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday said his country’s ties with the United States were “very positive” despite President Donald Trump’s latest threat to cut off all trade.
Trump has repeatedly accused Spain of not spending enough on defence, calling the country a “terrible partner in NATO” at an alliance summit in Ankara on Wednesday.
“Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,” Trump said.
Sanchez responded at a post-summit press conference: “Relations between the United States and Spain are very positive relations in social, cultural, economic and also political terms.”
Any bid to impose trade restrictions on Spain would be complicated as it is a member of the European Union, which allows goods to move freely between its 27 countries.
It is unclear what power Trump would have to end trade with Spain, after the US Supreme Court struck down his use of emergency powers to impose arbitrary tariffs.
Sanchez said he held “an informal chat” with Trump in Ankara about football and “there was absolutely no kind of tension”.
“On the contrary, everything was kind words and friendliness,” he said.
The Socialist leader also reeled off a list of Spain’s contributions to NATO and Ukraine that he said demonstrated the fulfilment of its commitments, including raising defence spending to two percent of GDP.
Clashes with Trump and Israel have made Sanchez, one of the few remaining openly leftist voices in a Europe increasingly dominated by right-wing politics, a hero to many progressives around the world.
In March, Trump also threatened to sever all trade ties with Spain after Madrid refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran.
Sanchez found himself in US crosshairs at last year’s NATO summit for refusing to join allies in a pledge to boost defence spending to five percent of GDP as demanded by Trump.
He has called Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide and has condemned the US military operation in January that captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
