Spanish PM Sanchez rejects Trump’s threat to cut off all trade
Prime Minister 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 criticism of the US attacks on Iran. Escalating Middle East Conflict As a “disaster”.
His comments come after US President Donald Trump vowed to cut trade with Madrid after the Spanish government blocked two jointly operated bases on its territory from being used in attacks..
“Spain is terrible,” Trump said Tuesday at a White House press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We are going to cut off all trade with Spain. We want nothing to do with Spain,” he added.
In a televised address on Wednesday morning, Sánchez said: “Great wars often start with miscalculations, technical failures and a chain of events that spiral out of control. Therefore, we must learn from history and cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions of people,” according to a CNBC translation.
Sánchez warned of “repeating the mistakes of the past,” compared it to the invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s, and summed up the government’s position: “No war.”
Spain’s socialist prime minister has emerged as a leading critic of US and Israeli attacks against Iran among leaders of European Union nations.
Trump’s latest comments follow protests over Madrid’s refusal to meet NATO safeguards 5% cost objective of GDP.
of Spain Ibex 35 The index lost in major markets in Europe during early trade. The index was down 0.8% at 9 a.m. London time (4 a.m. ET), while the pan-European Stoxx 600 index added 0.1%.
Trump’s threat to punish Spain on trade will be challenging as the 27 EU nations negotiate a trade deal together.
“It is naïve to believe that democracies or respect between nations can emerge from destruction, or that blind and slavish obedience is a form of leadership. On the contrary, I believe this position is leadership,” Sanchez said.
“We will not be involved in something that is bad for the world and against our values and interests, just for fear of retribution from someone,” he added.
— CNBC’s Charlotte Reed contributed to this report.
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