'Ridiculous' for US to maintain current Nato support, Trump warns ahead of alliance summit
Donald Trump has called the US-NATO relationship 'ridiculous' and 'not reciprocal' less than a week before the NATO summit in Ankara, criticizing European allies for their lack of support in Iran operations.
Trump's Criticism
US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that it is 'ridiculous' for the United States to continue its 'one-sided' relationship with NATO, just days before the military alliance's summit in Ankara on July 7-8. He claimed that 'they were not there for us!!!' and that Washington's relationship with NATO is 'not reciprocal'.
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at European allies over their response to the war in Iran, as several countries restricted the use of bases for American forces. He insists that Europe should take the lead role for its own defense, and Washington has already moved to scale back commitments.
Spending Disparities
Trump's post included a chart displaying NATO spending, showing the US investing vastly more than several other member states, including the UK and France. Under pressure from Trump, NATO leaders agreed last year to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
Summit Importance
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meeting with NATO foreign ministers in May, emphasized that Trump's disappointment with allies' response to Middle East operations would be discussed at the Ankara summit, making it 'one of the more important' in NATO's 77-year history. 'The president's views – frankly, disappointment – at some of our Nato allies and their response to our operations in the Middle East, they are well documented,' Rubio said. 'That will have to be addressed.'
The summit will bring together all 32 member states. The alliance, founded in 1949, has been a US-led defense force credited with maintaining stability in Europe and solidifying Washington as a world power.
