U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday the NATO alliance should weigh throwing Spain out of its membership ranks over a dispute about the Western European nation's lagging military spending.
Members of the U.S.-backed security alliance agreed in June to sharply increase their military spending to 5% of gross domestic product, delivering on a major priority for Trump, who wants Europeans to spend more on their own defence.
But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at the time that he would not commit to the 5% target, calling it "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision."
At an Oval Office meeting on 9 October with the leader of NATO's second-newest member, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Trump said European leaders need to prevail upon Spain to boost its commitments to the alliance.
"You people are gonna have to start speaking to Spain," Trump said. "You have to call them and find why are they a laggard."
"They have no excuse not to do this, but that's alright. Maybe you should throw 'em out of NATO frankly," he added.
Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1982. The 32-member collective-defence alliance has been in focus since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and launched the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two.
Meanwhile, when asked whether Washington planned new sanctions on Moscow, Trump replied, “I might,” indicating that further measures against Russia were under consideration.
He also dismissed the idea of withdrawing U.S. forces from Europe, saying the American military presence would remain steady.
“We have a lot of troops in Europe, as you know — a lot — and we can move them around a little bit, but no, basically we’ll be pretty much set,” Trump said.
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a preliminary 60-day ceasefire and nuclear talks deal, pending Donald Trump’s approval, Axios reports. Mea...
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly agreed an outline deal to extend their fragile ceasefire for 60 days, although the agreement still requires Presiden...
Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhst...
Three people were injured in a knife attack at a train station in Winterthur, near Zurich, on Thursday (28 May), in what Swiss police described as a t...
China will open its coffee market to eligible bean imports from 53 African countries from July 20, creating a major new export opportunity for produce...
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a preliminary 60-day ceasefire and nuclear talks deal, pending Donald Trump’s approval, Axios reports. Meanwhile, the GCC condemned Iran’s missile strike on a U.S. airbase in Kuwait, which Tehran said was retaliation for a U.S. strike near Bandar Abbas.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and expanded oil cooperation with Russia.
Three people were injured in a knife attack at a train station in Winterthur, near Zurich, on Thursday (28 May), in what Swiss police described as a terrorist act linked to radicalisation and Islamic State propaganda.
China will open its coffee market to eligible bean imports from 53 African countries from July 20, creating a major new export opportunity for producers across the continent as Chinese coffee consumption continues to surge.
Chinese investigators have uncovered hidden tunnels, missing worker trackers and fake underground walls during an initial investigation into the country’s deadliest mining disaster in more than 15 years.
Dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said, straining a fragile ceasefire agreed between the countries in April. The attacks came as Iran accused the U.S. of violating a separate ceasefire with strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
The visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Armenia marks one of the clearest signs yet of Washington’s growing interest in the South Caucasus.
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a preliminary 60-day ceasefire and nuclear talks deal, pending Donald Trump’s approval, Axios reports. Meanwhile, the GCC condemned Iran’s missile strike on a U.S. airbase in Kuwait, which Tehran said was retaliation for a U.S. strike near Bandar Abbas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on Wednesday for a three-day state visit focused on energy, transport and economic cooperation with one of Moscow’s closest regional partners.
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly agreed an outline deal to extend their fragile ceasefire for 60 days, although the agreement still requires President Donald Trump’s approval and previous breakthroughs have failed to hold.
Three people were injured in a knife attack at a train station in Winterthur, near Zurich, on Thursday (28 May), in what Swiss police described as a terrorist act linked to radicalisation and Islamic State propaganda.
China will open its coffee market to eligible bean imports from 53 African countries from July 20, creating a major new export opportunity for producers across the continent as Chinese coffee consumption continues to surge.
Ukraine will acquire 20 new Swedish Gripen E fighter jets and receive 16 older C/D models next year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday (28 May), in a move aimed at strengthening Kyiv’s air force.
France will become the first country in the European Union to reimburse anti-obesity drugs through its public healthcare system, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist announced on Thursday (28 May).
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