At the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, President Donald Trump sharply criticized Spain for refusing to meet the alliance’s new 5% GDP defense-spending target, accusing the country of “freeloading” and vowing to make them pay twice as much in forthcoming trade negotiations.
“It’s terrible what Spain’s done. The only country that wants to stay at 2%. It is terrible,” Trump said during a press briefing, in reference to Spain’s defense budget stance.
He continued:
“We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and will make them pay TWICE as much. I’m serious about that… They want a free ride — but they have to pay it back to us on trade.”
Spain is the only NATO member opposing the newly agreed 5% spending benchmark, which alliance leaders endorsed to bolster collective defense. While most countries backed Trump’s proposal, Spain maintained its position to stick near the previous 2% standard.
Trump’s announcement follows a broader deal among NATO allies agreeing to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, marking a rare unity shift prompted largely by U.S. pressure .
However, under EU trade rules, Spain does not negotiate trade agreements independently; these are handled by the European Commission on behalf of all 27 member states. Analysts say Trump’s demand to single Spain out may complicate efforts unless included in a broader EU-U.S. deal .
