صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
WashingtonUS President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had directed Treasury Secretary Scott Besent to take measures to cut off trade relations with Spain, describing Madrid as a “bad partner” within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in a move that reflects escalating tensions between the two countries.
Trump’s statements came during his appearance alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the alliance’s summit held in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where he criticized the Spanish government’s positions on a number of political and security files.
This escalation comes in the context of accumulated disagreements between Washington and Madrid, which have intensified since Trump’s return to the White House, and include defense files, foreign policy, and economic relations, in addition to differing positions regarding the war in Gaza, relations with China, and immigration policies.
Spain is one of the most prominent European countries that has adopted positions other than the US administration on a number of international issues. It has refused to increase defense spending to the percentage demanded by Washington within NATO. It has also strengthened its economic cooperation with China, taken positions supportive of recognizing the Palestinian state, and criticized the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Relations between the two countries also witnessed tension against the backdrop of the war on Iran, after the Spanish government refused to allow the use of military bases on its territory for American operations, which the Trump administration considered a position inconsistent with the obligations of the allies.
On the other hand, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended on several occasions the independence of the Spanish decision, stressing that his country will continue to adopt policies that are consistent with its national interests and its vision of the international order, even if they conflict with Washington’s trends.
Observers believe that Trump’s statements represent the most dangerous escalation in US-Spanish relations in years, and may cast a shadow on the future of commercial and political cooperation between the two countries, as well as their potential impact on the cohesion of NATO in light of the current international challenges.
Source:“My press”
