The European Commission promised to act quickly to defend both Spain and the EU’s interests after President Trump threatened to stop trade with Madrid.
On Tuesday, Trump criticised Spain, calling its government “terrible” after it refused to let U.S. forces use Spanish bases for operations near Iran.
At the White House with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said, “We’re going to cut off all trade. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
EU Commission deputy spokesperson Olof Gill responded by saying the bloc stood “in full solidarity with all member states and citizens” and was ready to act if needed to protect European interests.
Commission Vice President Stéphane Séjourné added, “Any threat against a member state is by definition a threat against the EU.”
Soon after Trump’s comments, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to show “European solidarity in response to the recent threats of economic coercion,” according to the Élysée.
Relations between Trump and Madrid were already tense because Spain resisted U.S. calls for higher NATO defense spending. Sánchez replied on X, saying: “NO TO WAR. Yes to trade, cooperation, and prosperity.”
He also confirmed he spoke with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, who both offered support.
The Commission’s firm position shows that trade is a key responsibility for the EU, an area where tensions with Washington have increased since Trump returned to office in early 2025. Gill said EU-U.S. trade is “deeply integrated and mutually beneficial,” and warned that protecting this relationship is crucial during ongoing global instability.
The EU-U.S. trade deal signed in mid-2024 is still on hold after the European Parliament blocked it later that year, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision that declared 2025 tariffs illegal.
Even though the terms are uneven, with 15% U.S. tariffs on EU goods and no duties on U.S. industrial products, Brussels still sees the agreement as important for long-term transatlantic economic security.
