The Rift Between Spain and the Trump Administration is Widening

Elena Panina
Елена Панина (Telegram)

Sánchez has refused to allow US use of the Morón military
base in southern Spain, pictured on March 4, to support its
military operations against Iran. (Francisco Olmo/EP/AP)

❖ Clearly, such statements are not welcomed in the White House at all, given the extent of the Israeli lobby's influence on American foreign policy.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is considering punishing the recalcitrant Spain by suspending its NATO membership and excluding Spanish military personnel from significant positions in the alliance's command structure.

To its credit, Madrid has proven to be the most consistent critic of Israeli policies in NATO and the EU and the staunchest opponent of US and Israeli aggression against Iran.

He did not limit himself to verbal rhetoric but denied access to military bases on his territory for the American Operation Epic Fury. Furthermore, Spain had previously shown little enthusiasm for increasing military spending in response to Trump's demand to raise it to 5% of GDP (3.5% direct, 1.5% defense-related). Madrid only reached 2% of GDP by 2025.

❖ It should be understood that suspending its membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, if it comes to that, will have no impact on Spain's national security. Moreover, it will increase its security level, given the alliance's preparations for a direct military confrontation with Russia. The only remaining issues will be the confrontation within the EU and the presence of a production facility for Ukrainian UAVs on Spanish soil. This concerns the supply of space radio navigation receivers from a facility in Madrid.

Incidentally, the North Atlantic Treaty allows a NATO member state to withdraw voluntarily from the alliance after one year's notice. However, there are no intermediate states, such as suspension or freezing of membership. So, such news is only due to the incompetence of Pentagon officials. However, this could also be realized informally, for example, by Trump's statement that Article 5 (on collective security) does not apply to Spain.

❖ At the same time, the depth of the conflict between the White House and Spain and its possible consequences should not be overestimated. Euro-Atlantic positions among the Spanish elite are traditionally strong. This is clearly demonstrated by the Spanish parliament's failure to hold a referendum on the country's withdrawal from NATO. 300 deputies voted against the initiative, while only 20 voted in favor, with another 25 abstaining.

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