US President Donald Trump has again sharply criticized Spain's authorities, saying the country risks being 'ruined' due to its migration policy and insufficient defense spending within NATO, reports infohub.kz.
Speaking to journalists, the American leader stressed that Spain, in his view, 'will be ruined' because of the influx of migrants. He also expressed dissatisfaction with Madrid's stance on the North Atlantic Alliance, stating: 'I have problems with Spain because it doesn't behave very well with NATO and doesn't pay as much as it should.'
In the original, Trump used the phrase 'Spain will be a ruined country,' which can also be translated as 'Spain will become a devastated country.' This statement came amid the escalation of the migration crisis in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, located in North Africa on the border with Morocco.
The American president specifically addressed the situation in Ceuta, calling it 'a very sad sight.' According to him, thousands of people are trying to enter Spanish territory across the border, and he has 'never seen anything like it.'
Trump has repeatedly criticized Spain for what he considers insufficient defense spending. Tensions between Washington and Madrid have increased following discussions on increasing NATO members' military budgets, which continues to be a point of friction among allies.