politics
March 5, 2026
Germany’s Merz said Spain should spend more on defense amid row with Trump
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Spain should meet NATO’s defense spending goals amid Madrid’s row with US President Donald Trump over the use of its territory in the war with Iran
TL;DR
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz refused to back Spain in its dispute with US President Donald Trump.
- Merz criticized Madrid for not meeting NATO's target of 5% of GDP for annual defense spending.
- Trump described Spain as a 'terrible' ally and cited its unwillingness to increase defense spending.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had previously rejected the 5% defense spending pledge as 'unreasonable.'
- The Spanish government expressed confidence in its resources to contain trade embargo impacts and urged the US to uphold its trade agreement with the EU.
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