Trump cuts off US' trade ties with a key NATO partner

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to immediately halt all trade with Spain, calling Madrid "a terrible partner" in NATO amid growing tensions over defence spending and its stance during the Iran conflict.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the opening of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump accused Spain of refusing to support key alliance priorities and said he no longer wanted the United States to do business with the country.

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"Spain doesn't agree to anything, and you shouldn't carry them," Trump told Rutte.

Trump then turned to Bessent and said, "I don't want to do any trade with them, alright?"

Bessent replied:"Yes, sir."

Trump continued:"Take it immediately, Don't even talk to them. They're hopeless. They're bad people. They make so much money with us, and we're going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them."

The remarks mark a sharp escalation in Trump's criticism of Spain, which has declined to commit to NATO's new target of spending 5 per cent of its gross domestic product on defence.

Also read: Trump says interim accord with Iran to end war is "over"

Madrid's Socialist government also refused to allow the United States to use Spanish airspace or military bases during the war with Iran, a move that further strained ties with Washington.

The United States maintains two major military installations in Spain — Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base — which have long served as strategic hubs for American and NATO operations.