The European Commission said on Wednesday it would always protect the interests of the European Union and its member states after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off trade with Spain.
Speaking before a meeting of the 32 NATO leaders in Ankara, Turkey, Trump sharply criticised Spain, calling it a “lost cause”. He said the United States would “stop all trade” with Madrid.
Trump also accused Spain of failing to contribute enough to NATO defence spending. Spain has refused to back the alliance’s target of raising defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also not allowed the US Air Force to use Spanish bases as part of the military offensive against Iran.
A European Commission spokesperson said the EU would continue to support “stable, predictable and mutually beneficial” transatlantic trade in the interest of all sides.
The spokesperson also pointed to the trade agreement signed last year between the United States and the EU.
Under that deal, from 1 July US goods have entered the EU tariff-free, while the United States applies a 15% cap on duties on imports of European products.
“We call on the United States to honour the commitments it made under this agreement, as we have done ourselves,” the spokesperson added.
