The U.S. president said he would make Spain pay the contribution difference through trade.
President Donald Trump (L) is greeted by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, on June 25, 2025. Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
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THE HAGUE—U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Spain of wanting a “free ride” after it refused to agree to the 5 percent of GDP defense spending target set at the NATO summit on Wednesday, and has threatened to punish Madrid through trade.
During a question-and-answer session after he made a speech at the summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Trump was asked by a Spanish journalist if he was satisfied with Spain’s contribution to NATO.
Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in crime, policing and the law.
