United States President Donald Trump unleashed a lengthy tirade regarding Spain and the United Kingdom, publicly calling on the two European nations to do more in supporting the U.S. in its ongoing campaign against Iran.
“We have a lot of winners, but Spain is a loser, and UK has been very disappointing,” Trump told the New York Post, adding that he believes Spain has been “very hostile to NATO.”
Trump remains frustrated with Spain for securing an exemption from the NATO commitment to reach 5% of GDP in defense and security-related spending by 2035. Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said last June that the idea would “not only be unreasonable but also counterproductive.”
“Not a team player, and we’re not going to be a team player with Spain either,” Trump said.
Trump slammed Spain as “losers” and said he is “very disappointed” with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, adding that “he’s not Winston Churchill.”
“We have a lot of winners, but Spain is a loser, and the UK has been very disappointing,” Trump said in an interview with The… pic.twitter.com/GyenSaVs9N
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 5, 2026
Sánchez had not addressed Trump’s comments as of publication.
Trump remains critical of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has refused to participate in the joint American and Israeli bombing strikes on Iran. Starmer defended himself this week, saying that the current UK administration “does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
Over 1,000 people are believed to have died in Iran since the missile strikes began last Saturday. That total includes various senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“It was very disappointing — his performance, having to do with our tremendous attack on a hostile nation,” Trump said of Starmer. “He should be giving us, without question or hesitation, things like bases where we can use others.”
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Starmer acknowledged that he has not talked to Trump since last Saturday. The 63-year-old also reiterated that he believes he made the right call to not participate in the strikes alongside the United States and Israel.
BREAKING: “My focus is on providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he stands by his decision to not join the initial offensive strikes on Iran.https://t.co/Xpl19vUxOG
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 pic.twitter.com/pkwaM1exxp
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 5, 2026
However, Starmer nonetheless feels that the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom has not been significantly damaged.
“We’re sharing intelligence on a 24/7 basis in the usual way,” Starmer said. “That is the special relationship.”
There is no indication that the UK will join the U.S. and Israel in any forthcoming military strikes on Iran. Starmer has repeatedly stressed his desire to focus on the area’s domestic problems rather than jump into an international conflict if he feels it’s not needed.
Recent weeks have been unkind to Trump, with 59% of Americans disapproving of his performance in the latest Economist / YouGov poll. Trump’s -21 net approval rating is his lowest since November 2017, less than a year into his first term. Additionally, 51% of Americans say they strongly disapprove of Trump’s performance, a record high for either of his two terms.
