The Trump authorities asks Spain to lift protection spending within the first bilateral contact | Spain | EUROtoday

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The United States has requested Spain to extend protection spending within the first bilateral contact reported by the Donald Trump administration since this returned to energy on January 20. The name has occurred between Christopher Landau, the Undersecretary of the American State, and Diego Martínez Belío, Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. In the abstract of the decision it isn’t talked about that each have referred to the doable first open battle that’s offered for each nations: the doable tariffs to Spain for the acquisition of oil to Venezuela, that are within the fingers of the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

“The Undersecretary of State Christopher Landau spoke today with the Spanish Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Diego Martínez Belío,” says the observe launched by the State Department. “Undersecretary Landau reaffirmed the strength of the association between the United States and Spain and called on Spain to increase its expense in defense according to their commitments to NATO. The Undersecretary and the Secretary of State spoke about the deepening of our ties in a wide range of mutual interests, including the strengthening of migration cooperation,” he provides.

At the 2014 Wales Summit, the allies of the Atlantic Alliance dedicated themselves to succeed in a protection degree equal to 2% of the gross home product in 2024, which Spain is much from reaching. In the Spanish case, the intention of the Government of Pedro Sánchez was to succeed in that purpose in 2029, however in full debate about the necessity to strengthen safety and protection in Europe, Sanchez has superior that that purpose will likely be achieved sooner than anticipated, though he has not supplied any calendar.

This week, NATO normal secretary Mark Rutte mentioned in Warsaw that “Spain wants to reach 2% [del PIB en gasto militar] This summer. ”

The Government of Pedro Sánchez has cooperated with the administration of the earlier president, Joe Biden, in immigration issues, with some decreased agreements to host immigrants in Spain who supposed to journey to the United States.

This is the primary formally acknowledged contact between the Trump administration and the Government of Pedro Sánchez after the return to the facility of the Republican on January 20. The name happens within the week when the president of the United States, Donald Trump, has signed a decree by which he authorizes Marco Rubio to impose, to his discretion, from April 2 a 25% tariff to the imported merchandise of the nations that purchase oil to Venezuela, together with Spain.

In this context, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, will attend the following Thursday, April 4, the casual summit with NATO, by which the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the place a primary bilateral assembly might happen.

After Trump’s triumph on the polls within the elections on November 5, Sánchez congratulated the brand new president of the United States for his victory and highlighted the necessity for each nations to work of their strategic bilateral relations and a “solid transatlantic association”.

On his first day in workplace, Trump already referred to Spain had a low degree of protection expenditure, however a large number was made by complicated Spain with a rustic of the BRICs and threatening him with 100% tariffs for his personal confusion. A journalist requested him in regards to the low expense in protection of NATO nations equivalent to France and Spain, however Trump singularized Spain by saying that his expense is “very low.”

The reply was particularly complicated. “[El gasto militar de] Spain is very low, ”Trump replied to the question about countries that dedicate less than 5% of their gross domestic product to defense. But then he pointed out that Spain is a BRICS country, an acronym formed with the initials of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, emerging countries in whose group Spain is not included.

“Are they a BRICS country? Well, they are a BRICS country. Spain. Do you know what a BRICS country is? You will find out. But if the BRICs countries want to do that [quizá en referencia a su plan de moneda alternativa]okay, but we are going to put at least one 100% tariff in the businesses with the United States, ”he mentioned then, maybe taking Spain for BRICS.

https://elpais.com/espana/2025-03-28/el-gobierno-de-trump-pide-a-espana-elevar-el-gasto-en-defensa-en-el-primer-contacto-bilateral.html