US President Donald Trump has claimed that Spain has agreed to make a higher payment after he threatened to cut off trade relations with the country.
The statement was made while he was on his way back to the United States after attending a NATO summit.
However, Trump did not elaborate on the form of the intended payment or the individuals from the Spanish side involved in the discussions.
Previously, Trump criticized Spain for allegedly not providing sufficient support for the military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran.
He also claimed that Spain still spends a low amount on defense compared to the targets outlined by NATO.
Trump even called Spain a country that is 'unhelpful' and threatened to cut off trade relations with the country if his demands were not met.
This tension was also influenced by the decision of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who did not allow the United States to use Spanish military bases for bombing operations against Iran.
Domestically, Sánchez's actions were seen to increase political support for him for daring to defend Spain's position despite receiving pressure from Washington.
Despite this, the Spanish government reacted calmly to Trump's statement. A government spokesman insisted that relations between the two countries were still good and recalled that the United States actually enjoys a trade surplus with Spain.
On the defense front, Spain has increased military spending to 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025, but does not plan to increase it above 2.1%.
This development shows that relations between the United States and its NATO allies are still facing challenges, especially when it comes to defense, trade and foreign policy issues.
Although Trump claimed that Spain had finally met his demands, the Spanish government has so far not officially confirmed the claim.
