US President Donald Trump makes no secret of his animosity towards Spain, and less than two days after criticising Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government for its stance against war with Iran, he has once again voiced his criticism, reiterating his displeasure at Spain's refusal to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
“We have many winners, but Spain is a loser and the United Kingdom has been a disappointment,” said the tycoon in an interview with the New York Post, in which he once again singled out these two countries, a recurring target of his reprimands over the past week.
In Trump's opinion, Spain is a country that is “hostile to NATO.” “It doesn't play as a team, and we're not going to play as a team with Spain either,” he said, without clarifying the possible implications of a statement that once again sounds like a threat.
“As a Spaniard, I cannot accept that the president of the United States, a country with which we have many ties, speaks of Spain with such contempt,” Margarita Robles, Minister of Defense, told TVE in response to Trump's statements.
Trump's clashes with Spain: from the axe to the olive oil, to asking for him to be kicked out of NATO and calling him a “terrible ally”