The Spanish government issued a sharp response on Wednesday to US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Spain over its failure to raise defense spending, cautioning that such measures would ultimately harm American citizens.
Speaking before parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz condemned what she described as an “intended punishment” against Spain, stressing that “it will be very costly for the Americans.” She explained that Spain maintains a trade deficit with the United States, meaning that “these policies are going to hurt the Americans,” according to the national broadcaster RTVE. Her remarks followed Trump’s renewed criticism of Spain for not increasing its NATO defense contribution, with the US president saying, “I’m very unhappy with Spain. They’re the only country that didn’t raise their number up to 5%… so I’m not happy with Spain.”
Díaz added that Madrid would defend key national sectors such as energy and automotive manufacturing, declaring, “In Spain, the Spanish are in charge; we are not their protectorate.” Meanwhile, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reaffirmed Spain’s “unquestionable” commitment to NATO and Euro-Atlantic security, calling the country “a reliable ally” with a crucial role on the Eastern European flank. Science Minister Diana Morant, for her part, downplayed Trump’s remarks, saying he is “known for making such statements,” and noted that his recent meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was “quite cordial.”
