With obvious irritation and statements – ultimatum, the Donald Trump launched a verbal attack on Spainaccusing it of being the only NATO country that “does not pay” at a press conference in The Hague on Wednesday afternoon (25.6.25).
Trump warned Spain that she would make her “pay twice as much” After Madrid’s refusal to increase military spending, saying: “They will pay the doubles. And I say that seriously. ” Although he said he likes the Spaniards, he said that free NATO participation would not be left unanswered.
Asked by a journalist about Spain, Donald Trump – with a caustic tone in his voice – replied: “I will negotiate directly with Spain.”
“I’ll do it myself. They will pay more money in this way, “he said.
“You have to tell them to go back and pay. You are a journalist, tell them to go back, they should join all these countries that pay 5%. “ added to the journalist.
Answering a question to another Spanish journalist, he said: “You are the only country that does not pay. I don’t know what the problem is. I think it’s very bad. We will fix it. “
He then expressed his sympathy for the Spanish people: “I like Spain. I know many Spaniards, it’s a nice place and they are nice people. “
“Spain is the only one of all the countries to refuse … So they want their free NATO participation, but they will pay it in commerce, because I am not going to let it happen. It’s unfair, ”Trump concluded.
The NATO Member States today pledged to invest 5% of their GDP in security in the 2035 horizon.
The goal will be difficult to achieve, many European leaders warned, such as Spain, which considers the increase in defense spending “irrational”.
Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez’s response
Spain will achieve the new targets agreed, but considers its current defense expenditure, 2% of the country’s GDP, “sufficient, realistic and welfare compatible,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at the end of the summit.
Sanchez demanded last week to exclude Spain from NATO’s demand for defenses at 5%, a request by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte publicly rejected.