Trump threatens Spain trade, demands US take over Greenland at NATO summit

United States President Donald Trump voiced significant anger towards NATO allies during a summit in Ankara, Turkey, criticizing their actions related to the US-Israel conflict with Iran. He specifically called Spain a "terrible partner in NATO" and threatened to halt all trade with the country, instructing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "cut it off."

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I’m very upset with NATO.

Trump's ire stemmed from Spain's decision in March to deny the use of its joint military bases for operations against Iran and to close its airspace to US planes involved in the conflict. The office of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez responded by stating they considered Trump's remarks "business as usual" and affirmed their intention to maintain "excellent" relations with Washington. They also pointed out Spain's trade deficit with the US and noted that EU trade is governed by the union, not individual member states.

The European Union echoed this sentiment, with spokesperson Olof Gill stating the expectation that the US would honor its trade obligations under a joint statement signed the previous year. "We expect the US to honor its commitments under that joint statement, as we have honored ours," Gill said.

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I’m not happy with NATO because of what they did with Greenland, and I’m not happy with NATO because of the fact that they didn’t want to help us with the number one state sponsor of terror, that’s Iran.

Beyond trade disputes, Trump also reiterated his persistent interest in acquiring Greenland, a territory of Denmark. He described Greenland as crucial "for protection of the world, not just the United States." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had previously insisted that Greenland is "not for sale," and the EU affirmed that decisions regarding Greenland's future belong to its people and Denmark.

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terrible partner in NATO

NATO leaders convened in Ankara with the goal of mitigating Trump's frustration over Iran and demonstrating their commitment to increased defense spending. Trump had previously complained that the US was spending "disproportionately" within NATO.

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Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain any more.