Trump threatens Spain again, after saying that “should be expel” from NATO: “I was thinking of imposing commercial sanctions”
Donald J. Trump. Credit Line: Ron Sachs / CNP / Splashnews.com / Splash / Profimedia
President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday that he will impose commercial sanctions, including customs tariffs, declaring that he is dissatisfied with his refusal to increase the defense expenses to 5%, according to Reuters.
“I am very dissatisfied with Spain. It is the only country that has not increased its budget to 5%… so I am not satisfied with Spain,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The US president continued with a threat: “I was thinking of imposing commercial sanctions through customs tariffs because of what they did and I think I could do this.”
Donald Trump has repeatedly pressed NATO members to spend more for their own defense and has questioned Washington's availability to help members who do not spend enough. Last week, during a meeting with the President of Finland, he said NATO should consider the exclusion of Spain in the Alliance, because of its refusal to accept the new commitment.
Invoking the major threat represented by Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO members claimed that their previous commitment to spend 2% of GDP is no longer sufficient.
Spain was the only member of the alliance made up of 32 countries that did not commit to increase military expenses to 5% of GDP.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez obtained a last-minute derogation at the time, stating that Spain will only spend up to 2.1%, which he called “enough and realistic”.
Madrid, who joined the organization of the Northern Atlantic Treaty in 1982, claimed to compensate for lower expenses with strong band contributions to NATO missions, including Latvia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.
