Spain’s Pedro Sánchez Hits Back at Trump Threat to Sever Trade

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has delivered a strong rebuttal to US President Donald Trump’s threat to end trade with Spain by restating his opposition to war and what he called the “breakdown of international law,” Guy Hedgecoe and Paul Kirby reported for BBC News.

Trump threatened to impose a full trade embargo on Spain in response to its refusal to allow the US to use the jointly run bases at Morón and Rota to strike Iran.(Photo: Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón)

In a 10-minute televised address, Sánchez reflected on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the Iraq War more than 20 years ago, and said the Spanish government’s position could be summed up as “no to war.”

Trump threatened to impose a full trade embargo on Spain in response to its refusal to allow the US to use the jointly run bases at Morón and Rota to strike Iran.

A recent poll by the CIS research institute found that 77% of Spaniards had a “bad” or “very bad” opinion of Trump, suggesting that even many right-wing voters may back Sánchez on this issue.

“Spain has been terrible,” Trump said during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday.

Merz later said he had told Trump very clearly that he could not conclude a separate trade agreement with Germany or with all of Europe, but exclude Spain.

In response to the US economic threat, the Élysée Palace said French President Emmanuel Macron had conveyed his “solidarity” with Spain during a recent phone conversation with Sánchez.

European Council President António Costa also said he had spoken to the Spanish leader “to express the EU’s full solidarity.” Earlier this year, Sánchez drew Trump’s ire by speaking out against the US military incursion into Venezuela.