US President Donald Trump is disappointed with Spain over its refusal to let American forces use two military bases, Rota (Cádiz) and Morón (Seville), during the war in Iran and its reluctance to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of output, Washington’s ambassador to NATO has said.
Matt Whitaker told reporters there was no doubt the President was unhappy with the Spanish Government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He cited Madrid’s restrictions on access to the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain and on the use of Spanish airspace during the American operation against Iran, known as Epic Fury.
Whitaker linked that grievance to Spain’s continued resistance to the alliance’s spending goal, saying Madrid had yet to set out a credible path towards 5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).
The remarks came ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8, the first gathering since 32 allies agreed at The Hague in 2025 to lift defence budgets towards the new benchmark.
Asked whether Trump would announce measures against Spain at the summit, Whitaker played down the prospect of reprisals and said he did not expect the meeting to be dominated by them. He warned, though, that Washington was preparing steps against allies that failed to meet the target, without specifying what they would be.
The ambassador argued that countries doing more on defence should be rewarded in their bilateral dealings with the US, through greater access to American leaders and priority in arms procurement and contracts. He added that such incentives would not amount to a free pass on the commitments each ally had signed.
Spain was not the only member to draw criticism. Whitaker said Trump was also unhappy with other European allies that had declined to let American forces use bases on their territory during the Iran campaign.
He named Germany, Poland and the Nordic and Baltic states as strong performers, while warning that others were falling behind either by spending too little or by lacking a credible plan.
The Spanish Government has defended its sovereign right to decide which missions may be supported from its soil. It has also questioned the need to reach precisely 5 per cent, arguing that the capabilities it already provides should count.
Whitaker said he expected all allies, including Spain, to honour the pledges made at The Hague.
