PNN – Spain’s Health Minister issued a sharp response to Donald Trump’s threats to halt trade with the country, declaring that Spain would not yield to blackmail or threats.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; citing Arabi21, Spanish Health Minister Mónica García lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump in response to his threat to stop trade with Spain. She emphasized that Madrid would not bow to “blackmail and threats” amidst the heightened tensions between Washington and the Spanish government—tensions fueled by disagreements over NATO defense spending and policies regarding the Middle East.
In a social media post, García stated that Trump is punishing Spain for adhering to its sovereign positions. She added: Trump describes Spain as a bad partner because it refuses to yield to blackmail and threats. We are an independent, democratic nation that champions peace.
The Foreign Minister’s remarks came hours after Trump lashed out at Madrid while attending a NATO meeting hosted by Ankara, the Turkish capital; during the event, he accused the Spanish government of failing to uphold its responsibilities within the alliance.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez downplayed the significance of the US President’s remarks, stating that Trump’s threats have become a “common occurrence.”
Noting that relations between Spain and the US are excellent across economic, political, cultural, and social spheres, he emphasized that his government would respond to Trump’s comments with calm and patience.
The new crisis unfolds against the backdrop of the ongoing dispute between Washington and Madrid regarding NATO military spending. According to NATO estimates for 2025, Spain spends only about 2 percent of its GDP on defense, whereas NATO members agreed at the Ankara summit to raise defense spending to 3.5 percent by 2035. Meanwhile, Trump continues to pressure NATO member states to increase spending to 5 percent.
This is not the first time Trump has attacked the Spanish government; in recent months, he had previously threatened to impose trade tariffs on Madrid for refusing to allow the use of its military bases to support US and Israeli operations against Iran.