US President Donald Trump, in a telephone interview on Thursday, again criticized Spain, accusing the European country of being a "loser" and "very hostile to NATO," and reiterating his disappointment with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, UNN reports.
"We have a lot of winners, but Spain is a loser, and Great Britain is very disappointing," Trump told The New York Post. "Very hostile to NATO," Trump added about Spain, then complained that the country was not meeting the alliance's defense spending targets.
"Not a team player, and we're not going to be a team player with Spain either," Trump added.
Additionally
After the president threatened Spain with a trade embargo earlier this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Spain had agreed to cooperate with a US military mission against Iran – an assessment Spain vehemently denied.
"Regarding Spain, I think they clearly heard the president's message yesterday, and, as far as I know, in the last few hours they have agreed to cooperate with the American military," Leavitt told reporters at a White House briefing on Wednesday.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares denied this in an interview with a local radio station: "Our position has not changed."