BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s defense minister has defended her country’s commitment to NATO after U.S President Donald Trump floated the idea that the southern European country should be expelled from the military alliance for not spending enough on its armed forces.

In comments made Thursday while meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in the Oval Office, Trump said that Spain was a “laggard” and must be pressed to spend more on its military.

“You people are going to have to start speaking to Spain,” Trump said. “You have to call them and find why they are a laggard. They have no excuse not to do this, but that’s all right. Maybe you should throw them out of NATO, frankly.”

Trump was referring to Spain being the sole member of the 32-nation alliance not to commit to increasi

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