Trump said Spain was the only NATO member not to comply with the alliance’s new defence target, accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government of failing its obligations.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose trade tariffs on Spain over its refusal to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, describing Madrid’s stance as “disrespectful” to NATO.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said Spain was the only NATO member not to comply with the alliance’s new defence target, accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government of failing its obligations. “I was thinking of giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did, and I think I may do that,” Trump told reporters.

Trump has long pressed allies to boost military spending, linking financial contributions to Washington’s willingness to defend NATO members. CBI News recalls that last week, he suggested NATO should consider expelling Spain from the alliance after its refusal to commit to the higher threshold, adopted amid heightened tensions with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Spain has argued its contribution is “sufficient and realistic,” pledging to spend up to 2.1% of GDP while highlighting its deployments in Latvia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey as evidence of its commitment to collective security.

Madrid joined NATO in 1982 and has frequently faced criticism over defence outlays. The dispute now risks escalating into a broader diplomatic and trade rift between Washington and Madrid.