During a NATO summit in Ankara, President Donald Trump directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to immediately cease all economic exchanges with Spain, responding to the country’s refusal to adopt a new five-percent-of-GDP defense spending goal and its denial of US military access for operations tied to Iran. Trump voiced his displeasure to NATO chief Mark Rutte, then told Bessent he wanted no trade with Spain and ordered an abrupt end to discussions. This was the second such command, though a previous one in March did not affect actual commerce. Spain’s government treated the remarks as routine, pointing to its trade deficit with the US and noting that European Union regulations prevent targeting individual members. Analysts judged Spain’s economy less vulnerable to such pressure than some European peers.