Sánchez planta a Trump en la recepción de la ONU

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sidestepped a direct encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump during the UN General Assembly, citing agenda-related reasons for not attending the official reception hosted by Trump in New York. The Spanish leader's absence marks a low point in their strained relationship, fueled by Trump's repeated threats to economically punish Spain for failing to increase military spending or preclude the use of its military bases for attacking Iran.

Tensions escalated further after Trump blamed Spain's weakness for the illegal influx of hundreds of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta. Recently, Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs on the entire European Union if it accepts Canada as a partner state amid their ongoing trade war. Sánchez will attend the UN General Assembly's opening session on Tuesday, beginning with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' address, and followed shortly by Trump's speech.

However, he will not participate in the customary reception, which typically welcomes U.S. presidents alongside over 130 world leaders convening in New York. Sánchez's commitments only extend until 7 PM Eastern Time, when the reception begins, allowing him to conduct bilateral meetings with the leaders of the United Kingdom, Lebanon, Namibia, and Panama before engaging in a High-Level Dialogue on protecting children's rights from artificial intelligence.