‘Ridiculous’ for US to maintain current Nato support, Trump warns ahead of alliance summit
✓Donald Trump has said it is “ridiculous” for the US to continue its “one sided” relationship with Nato, less than a week before a summit of the military alliance in Ankara.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “They were not there for us!!!” and Washington’s relationship with Nato “is not reciprocal”.
The US president 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.
Trump also insists he wants Europe to take the lead role for its own defence, and Washington has already moved to scale back commitments.
His Truth Social post on Thursday included a chart displaying the amount of Nato spending, with the US investing vastly more than a few other member states depicted, including the UK and France.
Under pressure from Trump, Nato leaders had agreed at a gathering last year to boost defence-related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
The US secretary of state has said Trump is disappointed that Nato allies refused to become more actively involved in attacking Iran.
Marco Rubio, meeting with the alliance’s foreign ministers in May, emphasised that he expected the rift would be discussed at the July meeting in the Turkish capital, making the summit “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 coming Nato summit, which will bring together 32 member states, will be held in Ankara on 7 and 8 July.
The alliance, founded in 1949, became a US-led defence force credited with maintaining stability in Europe, keeping the Soviet Union at bay and solidifying Washington as a world power for decades to come.
With Agence France-Presse
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
Trump has expressed frustration with NATO's defence commitments and what he characterises as insufficient allied support for US military operations in the Middle East. He posted on Truth Social that the US bears a disproportionate financial burden within the alliance and that reciprocal support is lacking. His criticism comes days before a NATO summit scheduled for 7–8 July in Ankara, which will include all 32 member states. NATO members had previously committed to increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, partly in response to Trump's earlier demands for higher contributions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that allied responses to Middle East operations and broader NATO burden-sharing will be discussed at the summit.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
Donald Trump has said it is “ridiculous” for the US to continue its “one sided” relationship with Nato, less than a week before a summit of the military alliance in Ankara.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “They were not there for us!!!” and Washington’s relationship with Nato “is not reciprocal”.
The US president 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.
Trump also insists he wants Europe to take the lead role for its own defence, and Washington has already moved to scale back commitments.
His Truth Social post on Thursday included a chart displaying the amount of Nato spending, with the US investing vastly more than a few other member states depicted, including the UK and France.
Under pressure from Trump, Nato leaders had agreed at a gathering last year to boost defence-related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
The US secretary of state has said Trump is disappointed that Nato allies refused to become more actively involved in attacking Iran.
Marco Rubio, meeting with the alliance’s foreign ministers in May, emphasised that he expected the rift would be discussed at the July meeting in the Turkish capital, making the summit “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 coming Nato summit, which will bring together 32 member states, will be held in Ankara on 7 and 8 July.
The alliance, founded in 1949, became a US-led defence force credited with maintaining stability in Europe, keeping the Soviet Union at bay and solidifying Washington as a world power for decades to come.
With Agence France-Presse
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
Trump posted on Truth Social that maintaining current US-NATO support is 'ridiculous' and that the relationship is 'one sided' and 'not reciprocal'. Trump's characterisation implies unfairness in how NATO defence burdens and benefits are distributed. Several European countries restricted US base access for operations related to Iran. NATO members agreed at a gathering last year to boost defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Secretary of State Rubio stated that Trump is disappointed with allied reluctance to participate in Middle East operations. Rubio described the upcoming NATO summit as 'one of the more important' in the alliance's 77-year history, implying exceptional significance. The NATO summit will convene on 7–8 July in Ankara with 32 member states.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
- Trump called the US-NATO relationship 'ridiculous' and 'one-sided' ahead of a July summit in Ankara.
- He cited unequal defence spending and allied reluctance to support US operations in the Middle East as grievances.
- NATO members agreed last year to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 in response to Trump's pressure.
- Secretary of State Rubio indicated the tensions will be central to discussions at the 32-member summit on 7–8 July.