Katya Adler: Europe’s Nato allies push back at reported US threat to Spain

BBC:

It’s become a joke – through gritted teeth – these days in EU circles, that whenever leaders meet, as they did these last two days in Cyprus – expecting to discuss practicalities, such as the new EU budget – they get railroaded by yet another crisis.

There is the ongoing energy crisis provoked by the US-Israel war on Iran, Russia’s aggression in neighbouring Ukraine, now in its fourth year. And this Friday morning, souring relations between Europe and the United States, along with a potentially devastating defence impact, reared its Medusa-like head. Again.

“No worries,” Spain’s determined-to-appear calm prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said to waiting journalists as he arrived at the leaders’ summit. “We are fulfilling our obligations toward Nato.”

What did he feel compelled to say he wasn’t fretting about?

An email, originating from the US Pentagon and first reported by Reuters on Friday had leaked, suggesting measures for the US to punish allies it believed had failed to support the US-Israel campaign against Iran. The email said the US could seek to suspend Spain from Nato over its stance.

There is actually no provision in the Nato treaties to expel a member country. And any action to bar Spain from filling key civilian or military roles in Nato, also alluded to in the email as possible punitive action, would have to be taken unanimously amongst all Nato members .

Fellow EU leaders, at the Cyprus summit, who are also in Nato, leaped to Spain’s defence. Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten said he wanted to be “crystal clear” that Spain was and would remain a full Nato member. He said European countries were currently “doing a great deal to strengthen Nato”. That, he said, was also in America’s interest.

A high-ranking German official said “Spain is a member of Nato. And I see no reason why that should change.”

While Italian premier Giorgia Meloni – who was once seen as so close to Donald Trump as to be viewed as a “Trump whisperer” or go-between between Europe and an increasingly irritated, or seemingly irritable, US – criticised the tensions between Washington and Madrid as “not at all positive”.

Growing public opinion in Italy as across Europe has turned against Donald Trump. Meloni feels forced to take a stance against her erstwhile best buddy, drawing his ire at Rome too.

The Italian prime minister has denied the US permission to use the Sigonella airbase in Sicily for military operations against Iran. As the head of government of a country that considers itself culturally Catholic, she also described Donald Trump’s recent derogatory remarks about the Pope as “unacceptable”. President Trump, who previously considered Meloni “one of the real leaders of the world,” lashed out and told an Italian newspaper that “She’s the one who’s unacceptable” and “no longer the same person.”

The leaked Pentagon email also suggested a possible potshot at former “special ally”, and fellow Nato member, the United Kingdom – reviewing the US position on the UK’s claim to the Falklands islands in the south Atlantic, which are also claimed by Argentina.