Gallego Travels to Spain to Strengthen Transatlantic Relationship

Senator Met with Spanish Government and Business Leaders SPAIN – This week, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) traveled to Spain for an official visit to strengthen the transatlantic relationship. He met with Spanish government and business leaders in Bilbao and Madrid to discuss defense industrial cooperation, clean energy, trade, and the NATO alliance. Bilbao Senator Gallego began the trip in Bilbao, where he met with Imanol Pradales Gil, President of the Basque Government, and Aitor Esteban, President of the Basque Nationalist Party. Senator Gallego (left) speaks with Imanol Pradales Gil (center), President of the Basque Government, and Ander Caballero Barturen (right), the Basque Government’s Secretary General for External Action, at the Edificio de la Bolsa in Bilbao, Spain on May 25, 2026. Senator Gallego discussed exploring areas to increase bilateral cooperation with Spain, especially in the energy sector. While in the Basque Country, the Senator also met with Pedro Azagra, CEO of Iberdrola, visited the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center, and interviewed with Radio Euskadi . Madrid In Madrid on Thursday, Senator Gallego participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Spain, which represents more than 270 member companies. The roundtable brought together senior executives from major U.S. and Spanish firms across defense, energy, infrastructure, financial services, and technology. Senator Gallego talks to several senior executives at a roundtable discussion hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Madrid, Spain on May 28, 2026. During the meeting, the group discussed the U.S.–Spain bilateral relationship, energy and security and defense. On Friday, Senator Gallego participated in an event at the Elcano Royal Institute to discuss key priorities in the U.S.-Spanish relationship. “Spain has been with us since our revolution, and we talked about 250 years of independence, but it’s actually been 250 years also of a great US-Spanish relationship, and we’re certainly not going to let one person destroy that,” said Senator Gallego at the Elcano Royal Institute. “The fact that again we’re causing more anxiety and more antagonism between friends and allies, it’s really unnecessary.” Senator Gallego also spoke on the following topics: On President Trump’s threat to withdraw U.S. troops from Spain : “It would be the dumbest thing in the world for us to be able to give up access to these bases, because once we do that, we’re never going to get them back.” On Spain’s rejection of NATO’s 5% defense spending : “My focus is on true deterrence in terms of being able to deter Russia from moving further into Europe, and Spain being able to contribute to that makes a big difference.” On the Iran war driving a multi-year missile defense gap : “It shows you how ill-planned this war was, that they thought that they were going to be able to go to this war with Iran, who we all know has had this capability, who we all have seen sending their Shahed drones to Russia to use in Ukraine, and not be prepared for it.” On the Administration’s removal of Maduro : “The failure was the fact that we’re using the US government to topple foreign governments. Maduro was a horrible man, a very corrupt man, and was causing corruption all around the world…. That does not give us license to go and topple these governments, because what stops China from saying the same thing about Taiwan or other nations?” On Trump’s potential invasion of Cuba : “Yo creo que los republicanos especialmente de herencia cubana que viven en Florida tienen mucho poder con este presidente. También el secretario de estado, Marco Rubio, tiene una obsesión con esta isla. En mi opinión Cuba no es una amenaza a los Estados Unidos. Es una isla muy pobre. Senator Gallego poses for a photo and shakes hands with José Juan Ruiz, President of the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid, Spain on May 29, 2026. Ruiz is an economist by training and has held positions in the Ministerio de Economía and most recently served as the chief economist and director of the Research Department at the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo . Senator Gallego attends a roundtable discussion at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid, Spain on May 29, 2026. In attendance are Elcano’s board of directors, defense and security experts and former Spanish defense and foreign ministry officials. Read More: EFE : Senador demócrata defiende derecho de España y de socios de la OTAN a mostrar desacuerdo Europa Press : El senador estadounidense Rubén Gallego ve “estúpido” renunciar a las bases en España y aboga por “aceptar diferencias” El País : Rubén Gallego, senador demócrata: “Marco Rubio está obsesionado, pero Cuba no es una amenaza para Estados Unidos” EFE : ‘Marco Rubio tiene obsesión con Cuba’, denuncia el senador demócrata Rubén Gallego Europa Press : El senador demócrata Rubén Gallego, sobre Cuba: “EEUU intentará cambiar el Gobierno de una u otra manera” Senator Gallego later met with Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío.