The United States has urged Spain to “retain strong and secure borders, combat mass migration” and invest more in defence, in a message issued to mark the Spanish national day.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the call in a press statement published by the State Department on October 12. He said Washington would continue to press Madrid for meaningful steps on all three fronts, which he presented as priorities essential to the security and prosperity of both nations.
The demands came inside an otherwise conventional greeting. Rubio congratulated Spain and its citizens on behalf of the US and wished them a prosperous year ahead.
He recalled that the US celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026 and acknowledged the support Spain gave during the American Revolution. He also pointed to deepening economic ties and shared cultural values.
On defence, Rubio said the extra investment was needed to strengthen European security. Spain is the only NATO member not to have committed to spending 5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence by 2035, with the Spanish Government arguing it can meet its obligations at about 2 per cent.
The dispute has strained relations for more than a year. At the NATO summit in Ankara in July, US President Donald Trump ordered a halt to trade with Spain and called the country a “terrible partner” in the alliance.
Ties had already worsened after Madrid refused to let the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain be used for US strikes on Iran earlier in 2026.
The reference to migration followed a turbulent summer on the European Union’s southern border. The invasion of Ceuta, the Spanish city on the north African coast, began on July 30 and brought about 72,000 people across from Morocco, on the figure given by Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
In April, the Spanish Government had approved an extraordinary regularisation of illegal migrants already living in the country. The decree was designed for about 500,000 people though it drew more than a million applications.
The scheme has put Madrid at odds with much of the EU. Some 22 member states signed a letter describing it as a pull factor for illegal migration.
The European Commission called it a bad signal for the rest of Europe while accepting that it fell within national competence.
After Rubio met Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares in Washington on May 22, 2025, the State Department said he had recognised Spain’s cooperation in countering illegal immigration.
Rubio’s message came in the run-up to a general election. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the vote for November 29, nine months early, with immigration among the unresolved issues of his term.
