Spain has pushed back against US President Donald Trump's recent criticism, insisting that bilateral relations with the United States remain 'excellent' despite Trump's directive to halt trade and his description of the country as a 'wasted cause.'
Spain's official response
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Spanish Prime Minister's Office said Madrid 'enjoys excellent social, cultural, and economic relations with the US' and has no intention of allowing Trump's remarks to damage the longstanding partnership. 'Our country enjoys excellent social, cultural, and economic relations with the US, and it is not our intention for that to change,' the office said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Trump's criticism at NATO summit
The response came after Trump, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, accused Spain of being a 'terrible partner' in the alliance. 'Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way,' Trump said. 'Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain,' he added.
NATO spending dispute
Spain remains the only NATO member that has refused to commit to the alliance's new defence spending target of 5% of GDP by 2035, which was agreed at the 2025 Summit in The Hague. Madrid secured an exemption allowing it to cap military spending at just 2.1% of GDP, making it one of the lowest defence spenders in the alliance as a share of its economy. Trump has repeatedly urged NATO members to increase their contributions, accusing several allies of relying disproportionately on the US for security.
Broader tensions
Trump's remarks are the latest in a series of criticisms targeting European allies over defence spending. He has also singled out Spain in recent months over foreign policy differences. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was among the few European leaders to publicly condemn US military action against Iran, and his government earlier barred the use of US military facilities in southern Spain in support of the Iran strikes, further straining ties with Washington.
