Will Make Spain „Pay”: Trump Threatens Tariffs Over NATO Defense Spending Holdout

dailyblitz.de 5 hours ago

Update(1145ET): Among the most important, and somewhat surprising, things asserted by President Trump during his NATO summit presser Q&A, is that he’s demanding Spain to pay twice as much in a trade deal – which he plans to personally negotiate and broker. Trump lavished rare praise on NATO members for reaching an agreement for each country to hit the 5% of GDP on defense spending target over the next ten years. Spain has been a notable hold-out and resistant. He used the opportunity to make clear his intention to make Spain „pay”.

And Trump let it be known in front of the NATO audience: „I think Spain’s terrible what they’ve done. No, I do. They’re the only country that won’t pay the full — they want to stay at 2 percent,” Trump answered a question posted by a Spanish reporter. He laid out his response will be to make Spain „pay twice as much” as part of a trade deal. But this raises the difficulty of how could the US directly tariff Spain?… given that of course Spain is part of the European Union and Washington is negotiating with the EU as a trading bloc. Still, he said this:

“Spain is the only country refusing to pay (for defense – ed.). So I will make you pay for trade. I think we will double the tariffs on Spain. We will make you pay.”

„I do like Spain, by the way,” Trump said to the reporter in a conciliatory moment, before quickly pivoting to: „I think it’s unfair that they’re not paying.” He followed with:

“If the allies raise spending to 5%, then we will all be spending about a trillion dollars a year. This is a great achievement for Europe.”

The Spanish government made clear earlier that rejected NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s plan increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2032. The country’s Prime Minister Sánchez stated in letter submitted to Rutte that “the commitment to a 5% target is counterproductive.”

Q: Are you satisfied with Spain? Watch the response:

JUST IN: President Trump SLAMS Spain for freeloading off the US

„It’s terrible what Spain’s done. The only country that wants to stay at 2%. It is terrible”

„We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and will make them pay TWICE as much. I’m serious about that”

„They… pic.twitter.com/C3UJj6Am7V

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 25, 2025

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As expected, NATO members have agreed to new commitment to significantly boost defense spending, aiming to raise military budgets to 5% of GDP over the next decade—more than double the current 2% benchmark—at the ongoing major annual summit being held in The Hague. NATO’s 32 leaders proclaimed Wednesday: “Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defense-and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.”

The Trump-backed decision is being finalized in Netherlands this week, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte having hailed the proposal as a „quantum leap’ during a press briefing. Trump declared Tuesday that we’re with NATO „all the way”. And on Wednesday he’s expected to give a big address, as all eyes are focused on the Iran bombing and what’s next.

Bloomberg notes, also as fully expected and long ago previewed, that the spending target includes 3.5% via core defense and 1.5% in related investment covering infrastructure and cybersecurity.

Rutte and officials gathered in the Netherlands have stressed that all member states must participate, highlighting that Spain’s hesitation over the steep cost—nearly $90 billion annually—will not exempt it from the pledge. „NATO doesn’t allow for opt-outs or side deals,” he has firmly stated.

The increased funding is intended to dramatically scale up NATO’s military production, including building thousands of tanks and multiplying air defense systems by five, at a moment the alliance is staring down Russia amid the Ukraine war, where Moscow forces are establishing a huge buffer zone in the north and east, and actually increasing territory beyond Donetsk’s western border.

WikiLeaks meanwhile says the arms companies will continue to be the only real winners…

Trump posts message from NATO head Mark Rutte about raising military expenditure (much of which goes to arms companies) to 5% of GDP „Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.” pic.twitter.com/vJSoeS8ibz

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 25, 2025

Rutte has of course identified Russia as NATO’s „most significant and direct threat” and reiterated full support for Ukraine, despite Washington having named China has America’s 'top pacing threat’ and long-term main miliary and economic rival.

Of course, the alliance has already funneled hundreds of billions of dollars into a conflict with Russia that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides, and all the while Ukraine losing about 20% of its territory.

NATO leaders as of Wednesday have vowed to keep pursuing Ukraine’s path to membership, with Rutte emphasizing that the question of accession was never ruled out, especially not before the war. „There is an irreversible path for Ukraine to join NATO—and that remains true today, and will still be true after this summit,” he has said.

Whether you like it or not: Only one person is in the spotlight at the #NATOsummit: Everyone is focused on Donald #Trump. Secretary General Rutte says: Only thanks to Trump will the European members fulfill their defense commitments to counter the threat posed by Putin. #Nato pic.twitter.com/FlTVPljII6

— Florian Harms (@FAHarms) June 25, 2025

All of these pledges are new commitments were no surprise after Trump long pushed for drastically ramped-up spending, but perhaps the only surprise is that Ukraine’s President Zelensky finally swapped out his green uniform for a black suit (of sorts)…