The German Foreign Minister, Friedrich Merz, stated that he is working to ensure that Spain raises its defence investment to 3% or 3.5% of its GDP, as it is the only NATO member that has not made such a commitment. Merz made these comments during his meeting at the White House with Trump, who had described Spain as a partner and warned about the possibility of imposing a trade embargo due to its decision to prohibit the United States from using military bases on Spanish soil for the war in Iran.