President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Spain on Wednesday, threatening the country with a punitive trade deal for refusing to meet NATO’s new defense spending target. Speaking at the close of the NATO summit, Trump called Spain’s position “terrible” and vowed to make them “pay twice as much” in trade negotiations.
The comments came just after the 32-nation alliance agreed to more than double its defense spending goal to 5% of GDP by 2035, a key demand from Trump. While all members signed the joint declaration, Spain declared it did not need to meet the full target to fulfill its commitments.
Trump seized on this, portraying Spain as a freeloader. “They want a little bit of a free ride, but they will have to pay it back to us on trade because I am not going to let that happen. It’s unfair,” he told reporters. He added that while he “likes Spain,” its strong economy “could be blown right out of the water with something bad happening.”
The direct threat links NATO defense commitments directly to U.S. trade policy —a tactic Trump has frequently used to pressure allies. The public rebuke overshadowed the alliance’s display of unity, in which it had reaffirmed its commitment to collective defense in the face of threats from Russia and terrorism.
