Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has robustly rejected Donald Trump's threat to cut off all trade with Spain, declaring his country will not be complicit in escalating Middle Eastern conflict 'simply out of fear of reprisals from someone'.
In a speech on Wednesday, Sánchez compared the growing instability to 'playing Russian roulette with the destiny of millions' and invoked the 2003 Iraq invasion as a warning. He said governments cannot 'respond to one illegality with another because that's how humanity's great disasters begin'.
Trump had earlier criticised Spain for refusing permission to use jointly operated bases for US strikes on Iran, calling Spain 'terrible' and ordering Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to 'cut off all dealings' with Madrid. He also attacked Spain over its low NATO defence spending.
The White House press secretary later claimed Spain had agreed to cooperate, but Madrid categorically denied any change. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said: 'Our ‘no to war’ stance remains clear and unequivocal. I’m the foreign minister of Spain and I’m telling her that our position hasn’t changed at all.'
Sánchez argued that a government's prime responsibility is to protect its citizens, not to use geopolitics for cynical ends. He condemned leaders using war as a 'smokescreen' to hide failure and enrich a select few.
