US president Donald ‌Trump said on Wednesday at a Nato summit he had ordered his ‌treasury secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade with Spain, calling Madrid a “terrible ​partner” in the alliance. Trump, speaking alongside Nato secretary general Mark Rutte at the start of the summit in Ankara, said he wanted no ​business with Spain. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with Spain, which has not agreed to ⁠Nato’s new defence spending target of 5 per cent of ‌GDP. Spain has also refused to let the US use its airspace or bases on its territory ⁠for the Iran ​war. “Spain doesn’t agree to anything, ​and you shouldn’t carry them,” Trump told Rutte. “I don’t want ‌to do any trade with ​them, alright?” he said, turning to Bessent, who replied: “Yes, sir.” “Take ⁠it immediately, Don’t even ⁠talk to ​them. They’re hopeless. They’re bad people,” he added. “They make so much money with us, and we’re going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them.” The US has two important military bases in Spain: Naval Station Rota and Moron ‌Air Base. An internal ⁠Pentagon email outlined options for the United States to punish Nato allies it believes failed to support ‌US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance, ​a US official told Reuters in ​April. – Reuters