/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-tor.buminteractif.com%2F2025%2F10%2F15191227%2Ftrump-spain-gertty-3452352fdsf.jpg)
Donald Trump recently threatened Spain, a NATO ally, with punitive tariffs if it fails to raise its military defense spending to 5% of GDP, even going so far as to warn that he could «throw them out of NATO.»
President Trump said he was considering “trade punishment through tariffs” over Spain’s refusal to increase its military spending.
— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-10-15T13:30:02.726809Z
Trump said he was «very unhappy with Spain», adding that he was considering «trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did, and I think I may do that», referring to the fact that Spain was the only NATO ally that did not commit to a significant increase in military expenditures.
«We are committed to the defense, to the security of NATO and, at the same time, we are equally committed to the defense of our welfare state.»
More than enough
According to The New York Times, Spain’s military spending currently stands at only 1.3 percent of GDP, the lowest among all NATO members, though Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged to raise it to 2 percent by the end of 2025, still far below the 5 percent target demanded by Trump since his return to the White House.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded to the American president’s threats, saying in an interview that Spain was already doing «more than enough.» Sánchez added that: «We are committed to the defense, to the security of NATO and, at the same time, we are equally committed to the defense of our welfare state.»
«Very unhappy with Spain.»
-Donald Trump
The European Commission, responding to Trump’s threat against Spain, stated that the country will be protected against any attempt by the U.S. president to impose punitive tariffs in retaliation for its refusal to meet NATO’s 5% defense spending target.
«We will respond appropriately, as we always do, to any measures taken against one or more of our member states.»
Unbelievably disrespectful
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Donald Trump said the situation was clear and called Spain’s deliberate failure to meet its NATO target «unbelievably disrespectful», adding «I think unbelievably disrespectful, Spain, the only one out of all the countries in NATO, the only (one) that said that is Spain. And I think they should be punished for that, yes.»
According to Euronews, Olof Gill, the European Commission’s spokesperson for trade, responded to Trump’s attempt to disrupt European trade relations, stating that «We will respond appropriately, as we always do, to any measures taken against one or more of our member states.»
The European Commission and Spain’s government dismissed President Trump’s latest threat to impose higher tariffs on Madrid over its refusal to meet his proposed NATO target for defense spending reut.rs/3J5Zmka
