Trump praises Spain after it accedes to NATO payment request

During the NATO summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump stated that Spain "se redimió por completo" (redeemed itself) after agreeing to an "important payment request" to the alliance, marking a sharp reversal from his earlier criticism Source: La Vanguardia. Trump did not specify the nature or amount of the payment, but the disagreement had centered on Spain's refusal to commit to the 5% GDP defense spending target Source: Infobae.

What happened

• Trump's comments came aboard Air Force One on the return flight from Ankara, where he had previously accused Spain of "portarse muy mal" (behaving badly) for not supporting US strikes on Iran Source: El Confidencial.
• He claimed Spain "was very generous today" and that without the payment, "we wouldn't even have spoken to them" Source: Infobae.

The context

• The 5% GDP target, advocated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as part of "NATO 3.0," remains a point of contention. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez considers it unnecessary for meeting military requirements and noted that Spain has a trade deficit with the US, emphasizing that trade is an EU competence Source: La Vanguardia.
• Sánchez described a previous informal chat with Trump as "very cordial," discussing football and golf, and insisted that bilateral relations are "very, very positive" Source: La Vanguardia.