Trump threatens Spain trade cutoff, demands Greenland at NATO
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- Trump threatened to cut off all trade with Spain, calling the country a "terrible partner" and "wasted cause," and instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "cut it off"
- Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez's office said it is treating Trump's statements as "business as usual" and noted Spain already runs a trade deficit with the US
- The EU said it expects the US to honor trade-deal obligations with the 27-member bloc, with European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill noting EU members cannot be "singled out" in trade
- Spain had refused in March to allow the US to use joint military bases for operations against Iran and closed its airspace to US warplanes — the trigger for Trump's latest attack
- Trump renewed his push to take over Greenland, calling it "a big problem" and saying "we need it for protection of the world, not just the United States"
- Danish PM Mette Frederiksen insisted Greenland is "not for sale," while NATO chief Mark Rutte said the US and Denmark will continue talks on increasing the US footprint
- Trump accused NATO allies of refusing to help against Iran — "the number one state sponsor of terror" — and said the US spends "disproportionately" protecting Europe from Russia
Why it matters: Trump's trade threat to Spain runs into a structural wall: the EU has publicly reminded Washington that its 27 members cannot be singled out in trade deals, and Spain itself noted it already runs a deficit with the US. Denmark publicly declared Greenland "not for sale" while quietly committing to continued talks — a face-saving formula neither side can claim as a clean win.
