Trump threatens Spain with trade ban at NATO summit and demands Greenland

U.S. President Donald Trump declared Spain a 'terrible partner' at the NATO summit in Ankara and ordered trade relations to be cut. Trump also insisted that Denmark hand over Greenland to the U.S., in addition to Spain's refusal to allow base use for operations against Iran.

Scraper SystemJuly 08, 2026, 08:04 PM

Trump threatens Spain with trade ban at NATO summit and demands Greenland

The NATO summit held in Ankara was overshadowed by U.S. President Donald Trump's harsh threats against allies. At the summit, Trump specifically targeted Spain, calling the country a 'terrible partner in NATO' and instructing the Treasury Secretary to sever trade relations between the two countries.

Spain had announced in March of this year that it would not allow the U.S. to use its joint military bases for operations against Iran and had closed its airspace to U.S. aircraft participating in the war. The Madrid government responded to Trump's latest remarks 'as usual' and stated that it had no intention of altering its 'excellent' relations with Washington.

The Spanish Prime Minister's office emphasized that the country runs a trade deficit with the U.S. and that economic ties are shaped more by private companies than by governments. The statement also noted that as part of the European Union customs and trade union, individual EU members cannot be targeted.

Did not give up on Greenland demand

While expressing his discomfort with Europe's stance on Iran at the summit, Trump also did not back down from his demand for Greenland, which is part of Denmark. 'Greenland is a big problem for us. We need it not just for the protection of the U.S., but for the world,' Trump said, insisting on increasing the American presence in the region.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the U.S. and Denmark had agreed to sit down to discuss the possibility of increasing the American presence on the Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had previously stated unequivocally that Greenland was 'not for sale.'

Defense spending tensions

Defense spending was also one of the main agenda items of the Ankara summit. Trump argued that the U.S. was spending 'disproportionately' in NATO to protect Europe from Russia and that this was 'unfair.' Washington's NATO allies want to use this summit to soothe Trump's anger over Iran and to show that they are fulfilling their promises to increase defense spending.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said the EU expects the U.S. to fulfill its commitments from the joint declaration signed last year. Gill also added, 'Decisions regarding Greenland's future belong to the Greenlanders and the Danes.'

Source: Al Jazeera

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