United States President, Donald Trump, has renewed his criticism of Spain and revived a long-standing call for the U.S to take control of Greenland during the Nato summit, drawing fresh attention to divisions within the military alliance.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump accused Spain of failing to meet its defence commitments and described the country as a poor ally. He also threatened to halt trade with Spain, reviving criticism he has voiced in recent months.

Trump referred to Spain as a “wasted cause” and a “terrible partner in NATO,” expressing frustration over Madrid’s refusal to increase defence spending to five per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). Spain currently allocates about two per cent of its GDP to defence.

The US president has also remained unhappy with the Spanish government’s decision not to allow American forces to use military bases at Morón and Rota during operations linked to the conflict involving Iran.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, however, dismissed suggestions of strained relations between the two leaders. He said they held an informal conversation during the summit and insisted ties between Madrid and Washington remained strong.

“We talked about the World Cup… there was no tension whatsoever, on the contrary it was all very friendly,” Sánchez told reporters.

Spanish government officials also played down Trump’s comments, saying Madrid would continue to maintain what they described as an excellent economic, cultural and social relationship with the United States.

Trump first threatened to cut trade with Spain in March after Sánchez publicly opposed military action against Iran by declaring “no to war.” Despite the rhetoric, trade relations between the two countries have remained unchanged. According to US congressional figures, bilateral trade reached about 75 billion dollars in 2025, with the United States recording a trade surplus of approximately three billion dollars.

The European Union also backed Spain following Trump’s latest remarks. European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said trade between the EU and the US remained highly integrated and beneficial to both sides.


“The Commission will always ensure that the interests of the European Union and all our member states are fully protected,” Gill said, pointing to an existing EU-US trade agreement governing tariffs.

Trump also used the summit to once again press his argument that Greenland should come under US control, insisting the Arctic territory was strategically important to American national security.

“It’s very important to the United States, but it’s not important for Denmark,” Trump said.

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has repeatedly rejected any suggestion that it could be sold to another country. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated that position, stressing that Greenland’s future would be determined by its people and Denmark.

European Commission officials echoed that stance, saying decisions concerning Greenland were solely for Greenlanders and the Danish government.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen later said Trump did not raise the Greenland issue during the summit’s closed-door discussions, despite mentioning it publicly.

Beyond his criticism of Spain, Trump argued that the United States had shouldered a disproportionate share of Nato’s defence burden over the years.

“They weren’t there for us, and we’ve been there for them,” he said, claiming the US had spent more than one trillion dollars in recent years protecting allied nations from Russia.

Despite the disagreements, leaders of all 32 Nato member states reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance’s Article Five collective defence principle. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described the summit as a major success and said member states remained united in their commitment to collective security.

BBC News