The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has reiterated his criticism of the Spanish Government by assuring that the country “does not cooperate” in defense matters and by hinting again that he could cut bilateral commercial relations. The statements were made to the press upon leaving the White House, where he again questioned Spain's commitment to NATO.
Trump maintained that Spain is being an unreliable ally and accused Madrid of benefiting from the protection of the Atlantic Alliance without assuming the level of military spending that, according to Washington, should correspond to it. Along those lines, he stated that he does not understand the position of the Spanish Government and criticized what he considers a lack of cooperation on defense issues.
During his statements, Trump also wanted to differentiate between the Spanish Government and the citizenry. “The Spanish people are fantastic, they are a great people”, affirmed the president before journalists, although he insisted on his criticisms of the country's authorities. “But their Government has to do more. They are not doing what they should in defense”, he added, in reference to Washington's demands regarding the allies' contribution.
