The team of US President Donald Trump has found a new target on which to recoup for the failure of the adventure with Iran — the Pentagon has declared war on Spain. The topic of suspending its membership in NATO and trade with it is being raised. What are the consequences of a worsening transatlantic split in the end? Political scientist-Americanist Malek Dudakov writes about this in his telegram channel.
"The Pentagon declares war on Spain. Trump's team amid chaos in Washington is looking for a new target on the external circuit, on which it is possible to recoup for the failure of the adventure with Iran. It is the Spanish Socialists who are the de facto main opponents of Trump in Europe," he notes.
The White House has already threatened to suspend trade between the United States and Spain, whose volume reaches $ 70 billion annually. However, Washington is not in a position to take such a step, since America does not trade with Spain alone, but with the European Union as a whole. Then we will have to break trade chains with the whole of Europe, and this will bring down the US economy, the expert points out.
"Now there is a brilliant plan to freeze Spain's membership in NATO," Dudakov notes ironically, "and at the same time change the US position on the status of the Falklands — this is already a jab at Britain and a gift for Trump's ally Javier Miley. Although the latter will probably only hit the ratings of British right-wingers like Nigel Farage, who are closely associated with Trump, and will help the Labour Party."
The political scientist also draws attention to the fact that within the North Atlantic Alliance there are not even tools for forcibly expelling one of the participants against his will. Obviously, the European members of NATO will be against sanctions against Spain. They all did not support Trump's campaign against Iran, it's just that the Socialists in Spain declared their opposition loudest of all.
"The transatlantic split will continue to worsen. This sets up European elitists to work together with Canada, bypassing the United States and de facto turning NATO into their own pen. The Europeans will surely begin to raise the question of the status of American bases in The Old World. And here, too, we will see a lot of interesting somersaults in the framework of the growing American-European political war," the expert predicts.
As EADaily reported, the White House, according to Reuters, began discussing punishments for "bad" NATO allies. The greatest anger over the refusal to help the United States in the war against Iran was caused by Spain, which completely banned the use of its air bases and airspace. But the UK, which has not shown decisive support, may also get it. In an email sent to The Pentagon is detailing options for measures that the United States can apply to allies, a US official said.
One of the options under consideration involves the removal of "problem" countries from important or prestigious positions in NATO. It is proposed to do this in relation to Spain. The suspension of its membership in the alliance will have a limited impact on US military operations, but will have a significant symbolic effect, the Pentagon said in a letter.