Sanchez, Trump to Meet at World Cup Final as Spain Resists 5% NATO Spending Goal
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Jul 17
Sanchez, Trump to Meet at World Cup Final as Spain Resists 5% NATO Spending Goal
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jul 17
Summary
Pedro Sanchez will travel to New Jersey for Sunday’s World Cup final, setting up another encounter with Donald Trump as tensions with Washington remain unresolved.
The friction centers on Spain’s refusal to commit to NATO’s 5% of GDP defense target, after Trump threatened trade reprisals at the Ankara summit and told advisers to cut off trade with Spain.
Trump later softened his tone, saying Spain had been “very generous,” which Sanchez’s government took as recognition that Madrid had met its agreed 2% defense-spending target.
Spain also angered the Trump administration earlier this year by denying U.S. forces use of Spanish bases and airspace during the attack on Iran, though Sanchez has said he wants the best possible ties with allies.
The final will also draw Spain’s royal family, underscoring how a high-profile sporting event is doubling as a stage for delicate U.S.-Spain diplomacy.