Criticisms made during the reception for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who this Tuesday visits the White House for the second time, were not limited to Spain and also extended to the United Kingdom
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, criticized Pedro Sánchez’s government this Tuesday and announced the end of “all negotiations” with Spain, after Madrid refused to allow the use of the Rota and Morón air bases in military operations against Iran in recent days.
“Some countries have been very good, excellent. The head of NATO, Mark Rutte, is fantastic. But some European countries, like Spain, have been terrible,” Trump began by pointing out, adding that he had asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut all trade relations” with Madrid.
To further justify the end of trade relations, the North American president recalled a decision taken by Sánchez in the past. “It all started when all European countries, at my request, agreed to pay 5% [do PIB em gastos com defesa]what they should be doing. Everyone was enthusiastic: Germany, everyone, but Spain was not. And now he said we can’t use his bases,” recalled Trump.
Although the US immediately removed its planes from Spanish bases, Trump stressed that he was not obliged to do so, but decided to follow the recommendation due to what he considered a hostile stance taken by Pedro Sánchez’s government. “We could use the bases if we wanted. We could just fly in and use them. No one is going to tell us not to use them, but we have no reason to. They were hostile, so I said, ‘We don’t want to,'” he said, adding that Spain “has absolutely nothing we need, other than wonderful people.”
“They have wonderful people, but they don’t have great leadership,” he declared, referring to the president of the Spanish Executive.
US President Donald Trump (right) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, March 3, 2026. EPA/SAMUEL CORUM / POOL
The criticism made during the reception of the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who this Tuesday visits the White House for the second time, was not limited to Spain and also extended to the United Kingdom. “And by the way [de Espanha]I’m not happy with the United Kingdom either,” Trump added, without detailing whether there will be concrete measures of economic retaliation against London.
The tension between Washington and Madrid arises in a context of growing military mobilization in the Middle East region. This Tuesday, the United Kingdom sent helicopters with anti-drone technology and its warship HMS Dragon to Cyprus, after an attack on one of its bases on the Mediterranean island on Monday.
In recent days, France has reinforced its presence with anti-missile systems, anti-drones and a frigate in the Mediterranean, while Greece has already sent four F-16 fighters and two frigates towards Cyprus.
