The Spanish government has officially expressed its 'surprise' regarding the behavior of Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to the White House. This follows statements by US President Donald Trump, who accused Spain of insufficient support for military operations against Iran and threatened to end trade relations. Trump specifically criticized Madrid for forbidding the use of jointly operated military bases in Southern Spain for attacks.
Spain's Foreign Minister, Jos'Manuel Albares, stated that they conveyed their misunderstanding about the lack of support to the German side. Albares emphasized that within a currency union and a common market, one can expect solidarity, as Spain has shown to other partners in the past. He also drew comparisons to former Chancellors like Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz, where he could not imagine such silence when EU partners were under attack.
Chancellor Merz had not immediately reacted to the attacks against the NATO partner while in the presence of Trump and in front of the cameras. Only after the meeting did he clarify to journalists that Spain is an EU member and that trade negotiations with the US are conducted exclusively jointly by the European Union. Targeted disadvantage for a single member state is not possible. Spanish media viewed these later words as a retrospective attempt to correct the situation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro S'nchez confirmed his country's position. He warned against an escalation in the Middle East and described the military actions as 'Russian roulette' with the fate of millions of people. Spain will not participate in acts that violate international law out of fear of retaliation.
