The German chancellor gave Trump a "soft rebuke."
Foreign media reported that on March 3, during his visit to the U.S., German Chancellor Merkel clearly told Trump that Spain could not be excluded from the trade agreement between the U.S. and the EU, saying, "Spain is a member of the EU, and any trade agreement must include Spain."
Merkel's remarks directly rejected Trump's threat, which amounted to a soft rebuke. This incident originated from the U.S.-Israel strike against Iran, after which Spain refused to provide bases for U.S. troops, prompting Trump to angrily threaten a comprehensive trade embargo against Spain. At this time, Merkel's support for Spain not only maintained EU unity but also resisted the U.S. bullying behavior of using economic and trade measures to coerce allies.
Since Trump introduced "reciprocal tariffs," tensions between the U.S. and Europe have continued to escalate. Although the two sides have not broken off relations, their relationship has clearly become tense. Before the U.S.-Israel attack, the U.S. did not inform Europe, causing many countries to lose face and explicitly refusing to participate in the conflict. Merkel's position represents Europe's clear attitude of no longer blindly following the U.S. and safeguarding its own strategic autonomy, making it difficult for the U.S. to achieve its "divide and rule" plans.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858693025645576/
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