Merz rejects Trump threat to cut economic ties with Spain

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday firmly rejected threats from US President Donald Trump to cut economic ties with Spain.

"I told him very clearly: You cannot conclude an isolated agreement with Germany, or an agreement with all of Europe but excluding Spain. We are all in the same boat here," Merz told German broadcaster ARD after meeting Trump at the White House.

Trump had publicly criticized Madrid during the meeting, saying some European countries, including Spain, had behaved poorly amid US strikes on Iran. Trump said Spain had denied permission to use its military bases and threatened that the United States could halt trade with the country in response.

Merz underscored that Spain is a member of the European Union and any trade negotiations with the US must be conducted collectively or not at all. He stressed there was no way to single out Spain for punitive treatment.

Trade negotiations on the EU single market are handled by the European Commission on behalf of all 27 member states. Individual countries like Germany cannot negotiate independent agreements with third countries such as the US.