NATO has emphatically clarified that its legal framework does not contemplate the suspension or expulsion of any member state, in response to reports that pointed to possible measures against Spain by the United States. According to a spokesperson for the organization, the Washington Treaty does not include any provision that allows limiting participation or withdrawing membership status from an allied country, thus dismantling the legal viability of those hypotheses.
The only scenario in which a country can cease to be part of the Alliance is voluntarily. As Article 13 of the treaty states, any Member State can leave NATO by notifying the Government of the United States, a decision that would become effective one year later.
The controversy arises after leaks that indicated that the Pentagon would have explored the possibility of pressuring Spain in the framework of tensions over the lack of support for US operations in Iran. For his part, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has downplayed these reports, assuring that there is no formal complaint from the Donald Trump Administration. Sánchez has defended that Spain is a “loyal” partner that fulfills its international commitments, insisting that Spanish foreign policy is based on collaboration with allies, but always within respect for international legality.
