Trump claims ‘unity’ after lashing out at Nato allies

President Donald Trump threw a summit of Nato leaders into disarray yesterday as he demanded the United States cut trade ties with Spain and made renewed claims on Greenland, but later changed tack and said there had been love and “a lot of unity”.

Speaking in the Turkish capital Ankara, Trump had called Madrid a “terrible partner” in Nato as he railed against allies for not supporting the war on Iran and ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt all trade with Spain.

Trump’s remarks, also declaring the fragile ceasefire with Iran to be over, roiled a summit that European leaders hoped would look past a series of rows that have threatened to tear the military alliance apart.

“Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,” Trump said. “By the way, I’d like to cut it off. Spain is a terrible partner in Nato… Cut off all trade with Spain, including visits.”

Trump spoke alongside Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has assiduously tried to assuage his concerns over defence spending, Iran and Greenland, while lavishing praise on the president for bringing such issues to the fore.

But emerging from a closed-door meeting of Nato leaders, Trump later said, “There was a lot of love in that room, a lot of unity.” He also spoke more warmly of Volodymyr Zelensky when he met the Ukrainian president, in stark contrast to the tongue-lashing meted out at a meeting last year, and said he would give Kyiv a licence to make Patriot missiles.

On paper at least, the summit also ended with a message of solidarity, with Nato allies including Trump affirming their “ironclad commitment” to collective defence under the alliance’s Article 5 pact in a summit declaration.

European allies and Canada said they were assuming greater responsibility for the alliance’s defence, while Nato members also pledged €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026.

Washington and Madrid have been at loggerheads, with Spain explicitly rejecting Trump’s demands for European countries to sharply boost military spending.

In response, the office of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was treating Trump’s statements as business as usual, adding that bilateral relations benefited both countries.

Trump also demanded that his country control Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated that Greenland was not up for grabs.

“We are ready to defend every inch of Nato, including our own territory,” she said.