Key facts
- Trump called Spain a 'wasted cause' and 'terrible partner'
- Trump announced he would cut off all trade with Spain
- Spain is a NATO member state
- Move comes amid a fractious NATO summit
US President Donald Trump escalated his confrontation with European allies by declaring he would 'cut off all trade' with Spain, calling the NATO member a 'wasted cause' and a 'terrible partner'. The announcement, which came via the president's preferred social-media blasts, marked one of the sharpest ruptures between Washington and a Western European ally under Trump's second term.
Trump's remarks did not specify the precise trade mechanisms he intended to use, but the language was unambiguous: the US, under his direction, would no longer seek to 'do any trade business with Spain'. The declaration drew immediate attention from European leaders already uneasy about Trump's selective commitment to NATO obligations.
The move adds fresh turbulence to an already fractious NATO summit, where allied leaders have been walking on eggshells around the US president. Reports emerged that NATO diplomats agreed among themselves not to mention the FIFA World Cup to Trump to avoid irritating him — an extraordinary diplomatic precaution that underscored how delicate relations with Washington have become.
For India, the episode is a reminder that the rules-based international trading order faces unprecedented strain. New Delhi has been carefully navigating its own trade relationship with Washington, and any acceleration of US economic unilateralism sets a precedent with implications for every country doing business with America.