Sánchez tries to ease tensions with Trump: "Spain and the U.S. are friendly countries."

BrusselsDonald Trump does not forgive that Spain is the only NATO country that refuses to assume military spending of up to 5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and this Wednesday he charged without hesitation against the Spanish government, to the point of threatening to make it "pay double" with economic retaliation. However, a few hours later, the Spanish president wanted to make statements to the press—which were not initially planned—from the European summit in Brussels to try to ease tensions with the US powerhouse. "Spain and the United States are friendly countries," Sánchez asserted.

Thus, the Socialist leader sought to downplay Trump's threats and, in any case, pointed out that the international trade powers of the member states of the European bloc rest with the European Commission, not the Moncloa. "It is run from Brussels, and we are within a customs union," Sánchez reminded the New York magnate.

In this regard, the head of the Spanish executive has confirmed that the US leader's threats against the European Union are not exclusive to Spain and that he has already implemented tariff measures against the EU as a whole, which he described as "unfair" and "unilateral." Washington has currently increased customs duties on all products imported from the EU by 10%, by 50% on aluminum and steel components, and by 25% on cars manufactured in EU countries.

However, the US has granted the EU a partial respite, and a further increase in tariffs on European products has been frozen until July 9, for which Brussels has already threatened to return in kind. In recent weeks, US and European authorities have intensified their contacts and aim to reach an agreement to end the trade war in the coming days. Sánchez himself has defined these negotiations as "constructive" and has assured that the Moncloa "supports the European Commission in this regard."

On the other hand, the Socialist leader has once again maintained that, with the Atlantic Alliance agreement sealed this Wednesday, Spain only has to spend 2.1% on defense, a fact denied by NATO and the Pentagon. Sánchez even expressed his "satisfaction" with the conclusions agreed upon by the Atlantic allies and described the agreement as "balanced" because it is "absolutely sustainable and compatible with strengthening security and maintaining the welfare state." "Spain is a country committed to and supportive of NATO, but it is also a sovereign country," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Feijóo accuses Sánchez of seeking a clash with Trump.

The president of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has not missed Sánchez's contradictions with Rutte regarding military spending and the fact that the Moncloa Palace has become the target of criticism from many of the country's Atlantic allies. He called the Socialist leader a "liar" and "accused him of trying to break the unity of NATO" because he "votes and signs" to achieve 5% military spending and "tells the public" that it can remain at 2.1%. However, as usual, Feijóo has avoided openly advocating for increasing the amount of money Spain allocates to defense—a measure without much popular support in Spain—and has limited himself to criticizing the president of the Spanish government.

Feijóo also accused Sánchez, who is under siege over the PSOE corruption cases, of "seeking" an "artificial and unprecedented" clash with European leaders and Trump. This supposed political strategy the PP leader assures he "will not allow," especially if "the productive sectors of Spain" that export to the United States have to pay for it. "It's frivolous, just another lie from Sánchez. It's Sanchezism in its veins," the leader of the Spanish opposition insisted.