Spain PM Sanchez brushes off Trump’s threat to cut off all trade
Head of Government Pedro Sanchez speaks during the official opening dinner of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026 at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya on March 1, 2026 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday doubled down on his criticism of US attacks on Iran, calling the escalating conflict in the Middle East a “disaster”.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump vowed to cut trade with Madrid after the Spanish government prevented two jointly operated bases on its territory from being used in attacks..
“Spain was in terrible shape,” Trump said at a White House press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday. “We will cut off all trade with Spain. We want nothing to do with Spain,” he added.
In a televised speech on Wednesday morning, Sanchez said: “Major wars often begin with a chain of events that spiral out of control due to miscalculations, technical malfunctions and unforeseen circumstances. That is why we must learn from history and cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions, according to CNBC’s translation.”
Sanchez warned of “repeating past mistakes”, compared it to the Iraq invasion in the early 2000s, and summarized the government’s stance as “No to war”.
Spain’s socialist prime minister has emerged among leaders of EU nations as a leading critic of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Trump’s latest comments came after Madrid condemned NATO’s refusal to meet its defense spending target of 5% of GDP.
of spain mountain goat 35 The index was trading 1.4% higher around 10:17 a.m. London time (5:17 a.m. ET), reversing earlier losses due to U.S. trade tensions. Meanwhile, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose around 1.2%.
Given that the 27 EU countries are collectively negotiating trade deals, Trump’s threat to punish Spain on trade would be compelling.
“It is naive to believe that democracy or respect between nations can arise from ruins, or to think that blind obedience is a form of leadership. On the contrary, I believe this position is leadership,” Sanchez said. he said.
“We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and contrary to our values and interests simply out of fear that someone will retaliate,” he added.
— CNBC’s Charlotte Reed contributed to this report.
