Trump blasts Spain, demands Greenland at NATO summit
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- Trump declared the Iran ceasefire 'over' at the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, 2026, citing an overnight flareup between U.S. and Iranian forces, and criticized allies for not backing his campaign against Tehran.
- Trump singled out Spain as a 'wasted cause,' said he wanted no more trade with the country, and directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to 'cut it off' — a row that also touches on Madrid's defense spending.
- Spain responded that it was taking Trump's threat 'calmly and normally,' insisting it intended to maintain its 'magnificent social, cultural and economic relationship with the United States.'
- Trump reiterated his desire for Greenland, calling it 'very important for the United States, but it's not important for Denmark,' prompting Danish PM Mette Frederiksen to reply: 'Greenland is, of course, not for sale.'
- NATO published figures showing European core defense spending rose 11% to $634 billion in 2026, up from $571 billion a year earlier, with allies unveiling tens of billions in new arms contracts on July 7.
- Trump told President Erdogan he would consider selling Turkey F-35 fighter jets and rolling back U.S. sanctions — Ankara was ejected from the F-35 program in 2019 after buying a Russian defense system.
- Europe and Canada are set to pledge €70 billion ($80 billion) a year in military support to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, with Trump planning to meet Zelenskyy after speaking with Putin ahead of the summit.
Why it matters: Trump torched the Iran ceasefire on the NATO stage while threatening a key European ally with a full trade cutoff — a dual provocation undercutting NATO chief Rutte's bid to showcase allied burden-sharing ($634 billion in 2026 defense spending, up 11%). Turkey's F-35 windfall shows Washington still picks winners inside the alliance even as Trump publicly trashes others.
