Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague. Credit: ScreenshotTwitter@Whitehouse
Things were relatively calm for Spain at the High Stakes NATO Summit in The Hague.
And Donald Trump took the microphone.
The US president has launched a direct attack on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, threatening retaliation for the country’s refusal to a new meeting 5% defence spending target It was agreed by other NATO members.
“You’re the only country that doesn’t pay. I don’t know what the problem is,” Trump said.
Donald Trump: “Spain is going to pay twice as much!”
In fact, Spain is the only NATO country that has not been able to accommodate new defence spending demands.
The Sánchez government argues that an increase in military spending, which exceeds 2.1% of GDP, will come at the expense of Spanish welfare state. But Trump didn’t buy it.
“You know, we’re trying to do that. We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We’re going to have them pay twice as much, and I’m actually taking it seriously,” declared Trump, escalating what was a quietly brewing diplomatic conflict into a public conflict.
Trump’s trade threat
The US President did not specifically use the term “tariffs,” but his meaning was clear, with a deadline to wipe out US tariffs, especially as the US tariffs approached on July 9th.
“They’re going to pay, they’re going to pay more like this,” Trump said honestly.
Trump didn’t stop there – he issued a warning about potential fallout. “Spain’s economy is doing very well and its economy could be blown away from the water.”
Pedro Sanchez’s response: “Spain is the solution, and never a problem!”
Despite Trump’s harsh words, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remained rebellious, using a press conference to justify Spain’s stance.
“If they had accepted 5%, Spain would have had to add 300 billion euros to its defense between now and 2035. Where will that come from, from cutting to healthcare and education?” he said.
Sanchez appeared calm and contented, claiming victory in ensuring the flexibility of Spain’s defensive commitment. “After this summit, NATO wins, Spain wins, security and welfare state wins,” he said. “Spain has always been the solution, and never a problem.”
Tensions between Madrid and Washington
Tensions between Trump and Sanchez were also seen on a personal level.
The two leaders did not exchange greetings at the summit. “I didn’t have the opportunity to greet him or exchange some words,” Sanchez said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also targeted the Spanish government. “Spain now has a deep internal political challenge. They basically have a central left-wing government that wants to spend very little on the military, and they are being rejected,” Rubio said.
In his final warning, Trump insisted: “I’m going to negotiate directly with Spain. I’m going to do it myself.”
When NATO allies try to move on, most people are embracing Spain’s low contributions. However, due to the threat of Trump’s trade on the table, tensions between Madrid and Washington are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
