US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had ordered his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade with Spain, calling Madrid a "terrible partner" in NATO. Trump was speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte ahead of an alliance summit in Ankara. New figures released by NATO on Tuesday showed that Slovenia, Belgium, Spain and the Czech Republic could be in hot water with the Trump administration as they struggle to meet the alliance’s old target of investing 2% of their GDP. The Trump administration wants to see a more lean and lethal “NATO 3.0,” with Europe taking responsibility for its own security, including Ukraine, with conventional weapons while America would continue to provide its nuclear umbrella. However, European allies and Canada are still seeking clarity on just how deeply Trump intends to cut US force numbers in Europe.
