The Spanish Prime Minister confirmed he is not concerned after reports that the U.S. may push to suspend NATO membership as a measure to punish allies who do not support the Middle East war, emphasizing that Spain fully complies with its NATO obligations.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain firmly stated during his visit to Cyprus for the European Union (EU) leaders' summit that Spain is a "reliable member" of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and has fully honored all its commitments.
This stance came after Reuters cited U.S. officials saying the U.S. Department of Defense sent an email outlining options to "suspend status" of some NATO members to punish allies who refuse to cooperate in the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, particularly countries like France, Spain, and Italy that have denied U.S. warplanes permission to fly over their airspace or use bases for this conflict.
Sánchez said in English, "I am not worried at all," then emphasized in Spanish, "We do not operate based on emails but on official documents and the positions declared by the U.S. government." Notably, NATO’s treaty itself does not include provisions for suspending or expelling members.
The same email also suggested that President Donald Trump reconsider the sovereignty stance on the "Falkland Islands" to retaliate against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also did not support the Middle East war. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington might revert to a "neutral" position in the dispute between Argentina and the U.K., instead of previously recognizing British administration.
Since Donald Trump resumed office in January 2025, relations with European allies have steadily deteriorated, with Trump viewing allies who do not join the Middle East fighting as "betrayal."
For Prime Minister Sánchez, the relationship with Trump has been fraught, from rejecting the request to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP last year, to condemning U.S. military intervention in Venezuela earlier this year, as well as being a vocal critic of Israel.
However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized at the Cyprus summit that "NATO must maintain unity because that is the source of its strength." The entire conflict is expected to be addressed at the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey on 7-8 July.
/sourceAFP