EU expresses solidarity with Spain following Trump’s trade threat; Madrid says it ‘won’t be vassals’

The European Union (EU) stands in full solidarity with Spain, European Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday, following US President Donald Trump’s threats to cut trade with Madrid over its stance against Washington’s attacks on Iran.

“I have just held a call with President Sanchez to express the EU’s full solidarity with Spain. The EU will always ensure that the interests of its member states are fully protected,” Costa said on the social media platform on X.

Trump lashed out at the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday, criticising its refusal to grant use of the Rota naval base and Moron air base, as well as his refusal to join Nato allies in a pledge to boost defence spending.

“So we’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, the European Commission said it was “ready” to defend EU interests.

“We stand in full solidarity with all member states and all their citizens and, through our common trade policy, stand ready to act if necessary to safeguard EU interests,” said commission spokesman Olof Gill, in a statement issued in response to Trump’s threats.

In his statement, Gill recalled that “the EU and the United States concluded a major trade deal last year” and said “the European Commission expects the United States to fully honour the commitments undertaken” as part of the accord.

“We will continue to advocate for stable, predictable and mutually beneficial transatlantic trade relations for the benefit of all,” he said.

“Safeguarding this relationship, particularly at a time of global disruption, is more important than ever and clearly in the interest of both sides.”

Sanchez’s leftist government has angered Washington with a series of other policies, including staunch opposition to Israel’s military operation in Gaza and the military operation to kidnap and arrest President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.

However, in an interview with CNBC, the US Treasury Secretary said, “Anything that slows down our ability to engage in war puts US lives at risk, Spanish putting US lives at risk.”

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday also told Sanchez he stood by him, his office said.

“The president has just spoken with Prime Minister Sanchez to express France’s European solidarity in response to the recent threats of economic coercion targeting Spain,” it said.

Spain says it ‘won’t be vassals’

Meanwhile, Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero said on Wednesday that the country “will not be vassals” to another country.

“We are certainly not going to be anybody’s vassals, we won’t tolerate any threats and we’ll defend our values,” Montero told reporters, citing support for Spain from the European Commission.

In a televised address earlier on Wednesday, Spanish PM Sanchez reiterated Spain’s anti-war stance, warning that the conflict risked triggering a major global disaster.

“We’re not going to be complicit in something that’s bad for the world, nor contrary to our values and interests, simply to avoid reprisals from someone,” said Sanchez.

One of the most outspoken critics of both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sanchez criticised leaders who “use the fog of war to hide their failure” at home.

“This is how humanity’s great disasters start … You cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions,” he said, highlighting the negative knock-on effects of the Iraq war to argue that the consequences of the attack on Iran were just as nebulous.