President Trump has ordered his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade with Spain during the NATO summit in Ankara, calling Madrid a 'terrible partner' in the alliance. Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the summit's start, Trump said he wanted no business with Spain and instructed Bessent to 'take it immediately, don't even talk to them. They're hopeless. They're bad people.' 'Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,' Trump declared, adding that 'By the way, I'd like to cut it off. Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, including visits.' The United States maintains two important military bases in Spain: Naval Station Rota and Moron Air Base, making this trade suspension particularly significant for US-Spanish relations. According to latest reports, Trump directed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to immediately stop trade with Spain, saying he no longer wanted the US to conduct business with the European nation. The move signals a further deterioration in US-Spain ties amid broader disagreements over defence commitments and regional security.
President Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday and took swipes at allies for not standing by the US on the Iran war, stating he might have boycotted the meeting had it not been for his friendship with host President Tayyip Erdoğan. Trump said he was 'very disappointed' with the alliance and that the US was not 'treated well' during the US-Israeli war on Iran, questioning 'Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and they're not there for us?' Trump has accused European nations of failing to let US forces use their airspace and bases during the conflict, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni singled out for criticism after refusing to help with Iran operations. Trump also said Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Nato member Denmark, should be controlled by the United States, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterating that 'Greenland was not for sale' and emphasizing that 'One of the reasons why we have built Nato many, many years ago, is if anything happens to one of us, then everybody should stand up for each other.'
The summit comes amid escalating tensions as the US unleashed new military strikes on Iran and revoked a licence allowing Iran to sell oil in response to attacks on three tankers. Trump declared the fragile ceasefire with Iran to be over, stating 'To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them. They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people.' NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the new US strikes as 'absolutely necessary' and played down Trump's disappointment with allies as 'isolated cases', stating 'When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react.' The US has also announced troop withdrawals from Europe, cut the forces it assigns to Nato's defence plans - including an aircraft carrier, refuelling aircraft, fighter jets and drones - and launched a six-month review of its military presence on the continent.
While alliance officials say Russia is grappling with economic problems and Ukraine has strengthened its position, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that nearly half of Russia's state budget is now dedicated to defence. In a potential boost to Ukraine, Trump announced he would give Kyiv a licence to make Patriot missiles at a time when Russia has stepped up its air war on cities with deadly strikes, exploiting Ukraine's shortage of air defences. NATO members are expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine and pledge further assistance, with leaders expected to say in their summit declaration that 'For 2026, Allies pledge €70bn in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine and affirm their sovereign commitments to sustaining at least equivalent levels in 2027.' The funding will come from existing bilateral pledges and an EU loan facility that provides €60 billion for Ukrainian defence investment and procurement for 2026-2027, with the United States not expected to contribute funding.
The 32 Nato leaders met for a dinner on Tuesday evening but the main session of their summit takes place on Wednesday, with ambassadors from all Nato members having approved a summit declaration that affirms an 'ironclad commitment' to collective defence under the alliance's Article 5 pact but awaiting leader endorsement. On paper at least, the summit ended with a message of solidarity, with NATO allies including Trump affirming their 'ironclad commitment' to collective defence in a summit declaration. NATO members also pledged €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026, with European leaders saying they are working to take on more responsibility for the continent's security while hoping that Trump's regard for Erdoğan and his good relationship with Rutte would help smooth over tensions at the summit. Leaders from Nato's 32 member countries, including Trump, will attend the summit, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to join a dinner with Nato leaders on Tuesday evening.
