United States President Donald Trump has declared he is “very disappointed with NATO” on the first day of a summit of leaders of the mutual defence alliance in Turkiye that exposed tensions over European defence spending, the Russia-Ukraine war and the future of Greenland. Trump met with Turkish president, Recip Tayip Erdogan, shortly after his srrival in the Turkish capital
Trump later joined a glitzy dinner for the NATO leaders, hosted by the Turkish president and his wife. The main session will be on held today.
After criticising NATO allies during a news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said that if the summit “weren’t held in Turkiye, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it’s possible that I wouldn’t have attended”.
Trump also named European countries who he perceived as unsupportive during the US-Israel war on Iran, saying, “We weren’t treated well because we did something in Iran.”
“Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars when they’re not there for us? We’ve always been there for them,” he said.
“Italy turned us down, and Germany turned us down, and France turned us down.”
The US president cast a brighter eye toward Ankara, remarking on the “chemistry” between the US and Turkiye, vowing to remove sanctions and saying he would soon decide about the potential sale of F-35s.
“We have a very good relationship,” he said
On the eve of the Ankara summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte asked for "clear, concrete and credible plans” for defence spending while insisting the evidence so far was “impressive”.
Delivering an address at a defence industry forum Tuesday, Rutte pointed to threats from China, North Korea and Iran – in addition to Russia, whose defence industry is “working around the clock” to supply the war on Ukraine.
“We must remain vigilant,” Rutte said. “These countries are increasingly working together.”
The US president also reignited tensions over Greenland, telling reporters the territory “should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark”.
Trump has for months insisted that taking control of the autonomous Danish territory was crucial to US security, causing tensions with Copenhagen and across Europe.
Speaking in Ankara after Trump’s remarks, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she expects allies to respect Denmark’s sovereignty and accept that Greenland is not for sale.
source: commonspace.eu with agencies
photo: Donald Trump met Turkish president Erdogan on 7 July 2026
