The NATO summit held in Ankara witnessed harsh statements from U.S. President Donald Trump directed at allies. During his meeting with Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said, 'I am not at all satisfied with NATO,' and directed particularly heavy criticism at Spain.
Trade threat against Spain
Trump described Spain as 'a terrible partner in NATO.' The U.S. President, who said, 'Spain is a wasted case. We no longer want to do any trade business with Spain,' instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to sever trade ties between the two countries.
In March, Spain announced it would not allow the U.S. to use joint bases on its territory for military operations against Iran and closed its airspace to U.S. aircraft participating in the war. The Madrid government responded to Trump's latest threats 'as usual' and stated it had no intention of changing its 'excellent' relations with Washington.
The office of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized that the country runs a trade deficit with the U.S. and that economic relations are determined more by private companies than by governments. The statement also noted that as part of the European Union customs union, individual EU members cannot be targeted. European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said the EU expects the U.S. to fulfill its commitments under the joint declaration signed last year.
Insistence on Greenland demand
While expressing his displeasure with Europe's stance on the Iran war, Trump did not back down from his claim over Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark. 'Greenland is a big problem for us. We need it not only for the protection of the U.S. but for the world,' he said.
NATO Secretary General Rutte announced that the U.S. and Denmark had agreed to sit down to discuss the possibility of increasing the American military presence on the Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had previously stated unequivocally that Greenland is 'not for sale.' EU spokesperson Gill added, 'Decisions regarding Greenland's future belong to the Greenlanders and the Danes.'
Defense spending tension
Washington's NATO allies want to use the Ankara summit to calm Trump's anger over Iran and to show they are fulfilling their promises to increase defense spending. Trump argued that the U.S. is spending 'disproportionately' within the Alliance to protect Europe from Russia and that this is 'not fair.'
