Trump announced cessation of trade with Spain after it denied use of its military bases
US President Donald Trump stated that Spain informed the US about a ban on using its military bases, and after that, Washington completely halts trade with this country. He also added that if the US wanted to, it could still use Spanish bases for its own purposes. These words were spoken during the public part of a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.
Donald Trump. Photo: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
According to media reports, the Spanish side had previously demanded the withdrawal of American aircraft from its bases amid escalation around Iran and discussions of a possible expansion of military operations. This refers to the Rota naval base and Morón airbase, which are used by the US for operations in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
“Spain said that we cannot use their bases — and that's fine. We don't need to. We could use their bases if we wanted to. We could just fly in and use them. Nobody will tell us that we cannot use them, but we don't require it. However, they acted unfriendly, and I told them: we don't need to. Spain has absolutely nothing that we need, except for wonderful people. They have wonderful people. [...] And now we are going to completely stop trade with Spain. We don't want to have anything to do with Spain,” Trump stated.
Spain is a NATO member, and the presence of American troops is regulated by bilateral agreements. Such an escalation could lead to tensions within the alliance and complicate relations between Washington and Madrid.