US President Donald Trump used the opening of the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday to order Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all trade with Spain, including visits”, calling the ally a “wasted cause” and a “terrible partner”. The instruction, delivered in front of journalists alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, marked an escalation of a months-long dispute over Madrid’s refusal to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP and its denial of access to joint US-Spanish bases for operations linked to the war with Iran. According to US officials, the president also revived his demand that Denmark cede control of Greenland, describing the territory as vital to American security.

Spanish government sources responded with what they described as “calm and normality”, insisting that the bilateral relationship remained excellent and pointing out that, as a member of the European Union’s customs union, Spain cannot be singled out in trade policy. Madrid noted that the United States runs a trade surplus with Spain, and that commercial ties are driven by private companies rather than governments. The European Commission reinforced this position, with a spokesperson reminding Washington of its obligations under a joint EU-US trade statement signed last year and stating that Brussels “will always ensure that the interests of the European Union and all our member states are fully protected”.

The public confrontation overshadowed the summit’s choreographed message of renewed burden-sharing. On the eve of the meeting, European allies and Canada announced at least $50 billion in new defence initiatives, and NATO Secretary General Rutte later said Europe and Canada would spend a combined $258 billion between 2025 and 2026. After a closed-door session, Trump’s tone shifted markedly. He told reporters there had been “a lot of love in that room, a lot of unity”, and that Spain had been “very generous today”. A source familiar with the discussions said the president did not repeat his trade threats inside the meeting and instead signalled a desire to remain in the alliance. The final communiqué reaffirmed the allies’ “unwavering commitment” to collective defence under Article 5 and pledged €70 billion in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026.

Despite the rhetorical de-escalation, the underlying disputes remain unresolved. Spain remains the only NATO member not committed to the 5% defence spending target, and its government has not altered its position on base access. EU trade law prevents the US from unilaterally severing commerce with a single member state, and no formal trade action has been initiated. Viewed from European capitals, the episode illustrates a pattern in which public threats are followed by private accommodation once allies demonstrate increased military spending. The next test is expected when NATO defence ministers meet in Brussels later this year to review progress toward the spending benchmark.