In office since February 16, the US ambassador to Madrid, Benjamin León Jr, has not yet met with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. And he doesn’t seem to be very happy about it. In his first public appearance, the diplomat urged Spain to increase defense spending as requested by the Trump administration and NATO itself, a commitment which Sanchez however refused to sign. Relations between the two countries are at historic lows. The conflict erupted in early March when Sanchez denied US fighters the use of Spanish military bases, a decision stigmatized first by Donald Trump (who publicly defined Spain as a “terrible” partner) and then by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (“they behaved terribly”). The skirmishes then continued in the following weeks.
The defense costs and the missed meeting with Sanchez
There is no attempt to mend things on the horizon. “If the President of Spain has not received me, I don’t think he will invite President Trump” underlined the ambassador speaking at a conference organized by Nueva Economía Forum. El Pais notes that the diplomat met with the leaders of the Popular Party and Vox, King Felipe VI, the President of the Community of Madrid, as well as the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior and Agriculture. But Pedro Sanchez doesn’t. The prime minister has not yet received it.
In his speech, the ambassador wanted to clarify that Trump “has nothing against the Spanish people”. On the contrary, his claims are aimed at the government, “and I think he’s right.” The main crux of the dispute is precisely rearmament. “I recognize Spain’s commitment to reaching the 2% of GDP defense spending goal, agreed in 2014. But today we face greater threats,” observed León Jr. “President Trump has made it clear that our security requires a greater commitment: reaching the 5% of GDP defense spending goal, agreed in The Hague in June 2025 by all NATO members. Why peace does not happen is self-sustaining. Freedom requires strength and strength requires preparation. We live in dangerous times,” the ambassador concluded. “Europe must be ready to defend itself.”