Pedro Sanchez Responds to Donald Trump: “No to War”
On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticisms regarding Madrid’s refusal to allow American aircraft to use its military bases for strikes on Iran, firmly stating his government’s position with a concise message: “No to war.”
In a televised address, Sanchez emphasized that his country “will not be complicit in actions that harm the world and contradict our values and interests, solely out of fear of retaliation,” responding to Trump’s threat to sever trade relations with Spain.
Tuesday saw Trump escalated his rhetoric, threatening a complete halt to trade with Madrid, while also criticizing the UK for insufficient cooperation. These statements came during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, where he described Spain as “terrible.”
The left-leaning Spanish government confirmed that the use of the two bases housing U.S. forces for many years hinges on the activities being consistent with the United Nations Charter.
Trump also criticized Madrid’s decision not to increase defense spending to 5% of its GDP, a benchmark he advocates within NATO, asserting that the United States bears a significant burden within the alliance.
Amid the threats, Trump announced that he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Pisent to “cut all dealings with Spain,” adding that he is capable of halting “everything related to Spain” commercially.
However, the implementation of this measure remains unclear, especially after the Supreme Court invalidated the use of emergency powers to impose arbitrary tariffs.
For its part, the Spanish government stressed that its trade relations with the United States are based on “mutual benefit,” urging Washington to respect the autonomy of private companies, international law, and the bilateral agreements signed with the European Union.
