US President Donald Trump has left many confused after referring to Spain as a member of the Brics bloc during his first day in office. Brics stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and Spain is not part of it.
Trump made the mistake while answering a question about Nato countries like Spain that do not meet the alliance’s spending threshold on defence. The US President said he plans to impose 100% tariffs on businesses with Brics nations, sparking concerns over potential trade tensions.
Spanish education minister Pilar Alegria clarified that Spain is indeed a member of Nato and the European Union but is not part of the Brics bloc. This came as no surprise given that Spain ranks last among Nato countries in terms of defence spending.
Trump’s errors have also confused New Zealanders, who were surprised to hear him claim that America split the atom during his inauguration ceremony. The historic achievement was actually made by Sir Ernest Rutherford from Nelson, New Zealand.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/donald-trump-spain-brics-b2683680.html