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US President Donald Trump issued stern remarks regarding Spain on the sidelines of the NATO summit held in Ankara.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing the EFE agency, President Trump accused Spain of failing to meet its obligations to NATO. The US President further stated that he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to initiate the suspension of trade relations with Spain.
The Spanish government has responded to President Trump's remarks with restraint. Official Madrid emphasized that social, cultural, and economic ties between Spain and the United States remain at a high level. Spanish officials further noted that the European Union operates as a single trade bloc, making it impossible to single out any individual member state for trade restrictions.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is attending the NATO summit, is expected to address President Trump's statements during a press conference scheduled for later today.
This is not the first time President Trump has criticized Spain regarding various issues, including NATO defense spending commitments. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a political and military alliance of 32 countries, and member states are expected to commit a specific percentage of their GDP to defense spending, a frequent point of contention in transatlantic relations.
