A year has passed since the initial frictions, Spain's refusal to follow Trump's defence goal, and the country aligning to NATO commitments. Now the dust has all but settled, as the US is trying to mov past its clash with Spain over Iran, although it remains unhappy with Madrid. Its NATO ambassador, Matthew Whitaker, said no confrontation is expected between Trump and Pedro Sánchez at next week's NATO summit in Ankara, elDiario reports. However, he added that Washington remains disappointed with Spain over base and overflight access during "Epic Fury" and its refusal to commit to a feasible path towards a defence spending of 5% of GDP.
Washington seems to be partly accepting Spain's argument that capabilities matter more than raw spending, though. Whitaker stated that the key issue is now not just how much money allies spend, but what capacity in terms of military assets they actually deliver. This is much closer to Spain's position that the country can meet NATO capability targets without reaching the 5% spending goal.
However, the US still wants Europe to spend more on defence, but not behind protectionists walls. Whitaker warned, as Trump did in the past, that Washington will reward allies that meet goals and keep pressure on the rest. At the same time, they urge the EU to reduce protection clauses that could potentially exclude US companies from contracts.
