BY TYLER DURDEN
SATURDAY, OCT 11, 2025 – 09:20 AM
Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times,
President Donald Trump suggested on Oct. 9 that Spain could be thrown out of NATO after Madrid declined to commit to boosting defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
The U.S. president said to his Finnish counterpart: “Well, we had to do it, and you were great about it. Spain has not been. Spain is the one that didn’t do it. And so, I think you people are going to have to start speaking to Spain. The only one that didn’t do it, the only NATO country that didn’t do it is Spain, and you’ll figure what that’s all about, right?”
Trump said later during the exchange: “We had one laggard. It was Spain, Spain. You have to call them and find out why are they a laggard, and they’re doing well, too.
“They have no excuse not to do this, but that’s all right. Maybe you should throw them out of NATO, frankly.”
Responding, Spain reaffirmed its commitment to the alliance, with the country’s defense minister, Margarita Robles, saying that Spain delivers on its pledges.
“These statements were made in a specific context, but I know for a fact that the U.S. Armed Forces are well aware of Spain’s commitment,” Robles said.
The defense minister in July had spoken of Spain’s reliability in the alliance during a visit to NATO headquarters in Naples, Italy, where she said that “NATO can count on Spain.”
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