US President Donald Trump ordered an immediate halt to trade with Spain during the NATO summit in Ankara, escalating tensions with Madrid over defence spending and disagreements linked to the Iran conflict. The directive, issued to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, came after Trump criticised Spain for refusing to meet NATO’s new 5% of GDP defence‑spending target.
Trump’s order also defied European Union rules, which require all trade negotiations and decisions to be handled collectively by the bloc rather than individual member states. EU officials privately described the move as legally unenforceable, while Spanish authorities publicly downplayed the threat, calling it “business as usual.”
This marks the second time Trump has attempted to halt trade with Spain. A similar order issued in March had no impact on bilateral commerce, and European leaders expect the latest directive to be symbolic rather than operational.
During the summit, Trump renewed criticism of Spain’s defence commitments, telling NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte, “Spain doesn’t agree to anything, and you shouldn’t carry them.” Rutte attempted to ease tensions, noting that Spain had made “a huge step last year” by raising defence spending to 2% of GDP, while acknowledging that “there are still issues we have to solve.”
Trump also revived his controversial claim that the US should control Greenland, prompting Denmark to reaffirm that it would defend “every part” of its territory. The remark added to an already tense summit focused on alliance unity, Ukraine’s security needs, and rising conflict with Iran.
Despite Trump’s directive, European officials say trade flows between the US and Spain are expected to continue uninterrupted, with Madrid signalling it will not respond to what it views as political posturing.