Spain says no

Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut all trade with Spain. He said it Tuesday during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House. The immediate trigger: Madrid barred the United States from using joint bases in southern Spain to support Operation Epic Fury. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had announced Monday that the bases could not be used for operations outside the UN Charter's scope. Fifteen KC-135 tanker aircraft stationed at the Seville base took off for Ramstein and Aviano.

But the air base was just the trigger. Trump linked the measure to defence spending: Spain is the only NATO member that refused the new 5% target, and does not even meet the previous 2%. "We don't want anything to do with Spain," he said. Then added something remarkable: "We could just fly in and use it. Nobody's going to tell us not to use it." Merz, sitting next to him, backed the pressure, admitting Germany is trying to convince Spain to reach at least 3.5%.

Trade between the two countries runs around $70 billion a year. Spain exports cars, wine and olive oil; it imports petroleum and Boeing aircraft. But a trade embargo on an EU member is not an executive formality: it requires navigating WTO treaties, Community regulations, and the American business lobby. Pedro Sánchez responded by calling on the US to respect bilateral trade agreements with the EU. That said, the threat does not need to be carried out to work. The message is aimed not only at Madrid but at all of Europe: the Atlantic alliance is not a social club. And whoever doesn't pay their dues shouldn't complain when the phone gets cut off.