U.S. President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, announced the United States' intent to halt all trade dealings with Spain, criticizing Madrid sharply. Trump reiterated accusations of Spain's insufficient contribution to NATO defense spending. Speaking upon his arrival at the NATO summit in
Ankara, Trump called Spain a "losing proposition," stating: "We no longer want to do any trade with Spain." Conversely, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte defended Spain, commending "the significant step it took last year" concerning its military expenditure, ahead of the summit's
opening in the Turkish capital. Trump had previously criticized Madrid often for refusing U.S. use of military bases for air strikes during the Middle East war ongoing since late February. Separately, the U.S. President on Wednesday escalated rhetoric against Iran, declaring the
Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries terminated, and asserting Washington will not permit Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons. These statements occur amid continuous military escalation between the U.S. and Iran in the region, with ongoing strike exchanges and dwindling
chances for diplomatic revival after Washington ended the mentioned understanding.
