The president of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, He will meet Monday with the president of UkraineVolodimir Zelenski, To transmit your support. The meeting comes when three years have passed since Russia decided to begin the invasion of Ukraine, and after the words of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, in which he accused the Ukrainian president of Dictator.
From the arrival of the tycoon to his second term in the White House, Relationships between Brussels and Washington are found in a delicate time. The Trump administration has drawn attention to Europe for its slowness when acquiring the defense spending sought by the United States, to accuse European leaders of being responsible for the Russian invasion in Ukraine, exculpating Vladimir Putin.
Relationships between the White House and Moncloa also do not go through their best moment. The repeated criticisms of the Government of Spain to Trump during his campaign, and public support for the democratic rival of the current president, Kamala Harris, have not gone unnoticed by Trump. The tension in relations reached the point that the US president put Spain into the commercial society of the BRICs, which make up rival countries to the interests of the United States such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The danger of tariffs
With the tense relations between Madrid and Washington, The White House could impose tariff sanctions such as the ones he promised in his investiture for BRICS, and of which only China seems to have fought. Trump said he would impose 100% tariffs on all products that came from BRICS nations. After the first round of tax rates, these threats were reduced to 25% for all these states except China, who has imposed only 10% due to its dominant position in the technological market.
In turn, Trump promised 25% tariffs for European products, raising a minimum percentage depending on the cost that US products experienced once VAT applied. This measure has put several Spanish productive sectors in suspense, including the car, the production of machinery, the olive grove and the fruit and fruit. If to Trump promised rates for Europe, one more rate is added to Spain, National exports could suffer a much harder blow in the US market.
The delicate situation with defense spending
NATO set by 2024 that European countries belonging to the organization of the allies reached 2% of their GDP in defense, and that they rose to 3% in 2025. Trump intended the objective that 3% became 5% Before possible, something that today seems distant.
In addition, there were some countries that had not complied with the 2% limit set by 2024, including Spain. NATO saw with good eyes that countries that did not meet this goal were gradually rising to the 2%car. However, due to the predominant power of the United States in NATO, This could press Spain with having to acquire that commitment more quickly.
