In a significant diplomatic shift following days of intense friction at the NATO summit, US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised Spain for making a major financial commitment, signalling an end to a standoff that had threatened to fracture bilateral trade and security relations.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, President Trump revealed that Spain had "honoured a request for lots of payment" after he had previously threatened to cut off trade ties and dismiss the nation as a "hopeless" ally.

"I will say, I did have issues with Spain, and I still do, but Spain came back all the way today. Spain was very generous today," Trump stated. The President added that the sudden concession prevented a total breakdown in communications, framing the resolution as a victory for his demand-driven foreign policy. "They honoured a request for lots of payment--and if they didn't, we wouldn't even talk to them."

The tension had reached a boiling point during the summit, where Trump had openly directed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to prepare for an embargo on Spanish trade due to Madrid's resistance to NATO's ambitious new defence spending targets.