What's at stake at the NATO summit in Turkey
NATO leaders hope President Trump's criticism of the alliance is aimed at getting Europe to spend more on defense. But some analysts fear Trump may have an ulterior motive.
Transcript
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
President Trump is attending a NATO summit in Turkey today. Speaking this morning at a meeting with the Turkish president, he reiterated his call for the U.S. to take control of Greenland. For NATO officials, this was yet another reminder of the tricky balancing act they face as they work to ensure U.S. support for the alliance amidst Trump's ongoing criticism of its value. But in the meantime, NATO members are also eager to emphasize business continues as usual, as WHRO's Steve Walsh found during a recent training exercise.
STEVE WALSH, BYLINE: About a week ago, the French naval vessel Dixmude was sailing off the North Carolina coast near Camp Lejeune.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: OK, be careful.
WALSH: The Navy called it the largest exercise ever held in the western Atlantic.
THOMAS: We deploy, as we see, with the Spanish, French and American amphibious ships for exercise. OK?
WALSH: Thomas is a French officer. French military policy is to only release first names. He says NATO partners are working closely together as they conduct beach landings and simulate handling mass casualties. But asked about the relationship between President Donald Trump and France's Emmanuel Macron, Thomas is more circumspect.
THOMAS: In French military, we don't say politics. So I don't have an opinion on that one, OK? Sorry for that one. I think you know - I think military is the same for USA, so we don't talk politics.
(SOUNDBITE OF HORN TRUMPETING)
WALSH: The Dixmude is carrying 160 officers in training from 16 different countries, including from the U.S. Navy. They spent two weeks off the coast of Norfolk. U.S. Admiral Doug Perry ran the exercise as head of NATO's Joint Forces Command - Norfolk. He, too, was just as diplomatic.
DOUG PERRY: While we have challenges of sorting where we've been in the past to what we need to be capable of doing in the future, we are stronger than we've been in years. I don't get involved in politics.
WALSH: But NATO is trying to adapt to the political climate created by the Trump administration. Soon after Perry leaves in September, a British commander will take over as head of the NATO command in Norfolk, which covers the Atlantic and the High North, including Greenland. It's a literal example of the Europeans taking a more direct role in the alliance. News of the change in command came during the 2025 NATO summit after President Trump declared that the U.S. may take Greenland by force. Matthew Kroenig is vice president at the Atlantic Council.
MATTHEW KROENIG: That was really unprecedented, the idea that a NATO ally would attack another NATO ally and really not just any NATO ally, but the United States, the leader of the alliance. And so that really - I think it's hard to underestimate how much that shook European leaders.
WALSH: The U.S. is reviewing the amount of forces available to Europe. As members prepare to meet in Turkey this week, there is hope among NATO leaders that the rhetoric is designed to push Europe to spend more rather than force a break in the alliance, Kroenig says. Ian Brzezinski, a resident fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, is not so sure. He fears the Trump administration may have other reasons to push allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense.
IAN BRZEZINSKI: Basically using burden sharing as a camouflage to hide the real intent, which is to have an absolutely minimal posture in Europe.
WALSH: Back in Norfolk, for the last day of the Navy training exercise, Captain Wolfgang Eckmuller, commander of the German frigate FGS Sachsen, says the alliance is stepping up.
WOLFGANG ECKMULLER: Absolutely. I think it's already happening. If you look at Germany, we boosted our defense budget by five times. And that's quite a huge thing in Germany. We're building so many frigates right now, and that's really impressive.
WALSH: Whether it's enough will be one of the questions answered in Turkey this week.
For NPR News, I'm Steve Walsh in Norfolk, Virginia.
(SOUNDBITE OF MINUTEMEN'S "COHESION")
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Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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NATO is convening in Turkey amid ongoing tensions over defense spending and U.S. commitment. President Trump has criticized the alliance and made statements about Greenland that surprised European officials. NATO members are responding by increasing defense budgets—Germany has increased spending fivefold—and expanding their own military capabilities. A British commander will soon lead NATO's Atlantic command, a shift that represents increased European responsibility. Military officials say NATO coordination remains strong, but analysts interpret the political signals differently: some see Trump's demands as pressure for higher European spending, while others worry they mask a strategy to minimize U.S. involvement in Europe. The outcome of this week's summit will clarify Europe's military direction.
Read the full story at NPR ↗
NATO leaders hope President Trump's criticism of the alliance is aimed at getting Europe to spend more on defense. But some analysts fear Trump may have an ulterior motive.
Transcript
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
President Trump is attending a NATO summit in Turkey today. Speaking this morning at a meeting with the Turkish president, he reiterated his call for the U.S. to take control of Greenland. For NATO officials, this was yet another reminder of the tricky balancing act they face as they work to ensure U.S. support for the alliance amidst Trump's ongoing criticism of its value. But in the meantime, NATO members are also eager to emphasize business continues as usual, as WHRO's Steve Walsh found during a recent training exercise.
STEVE WALSH, BYLINE: About a week ago, the French naval vessel Dixmude was sailing off the North Carolina coast near Camp Lejeune.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: OK, be careful.
WALSH: The Navy called it the largest exercise ever held in the western Atlantic.
THOMAS: We deploy, as we see, with the Spanish, French and American amphibious ships for exercise. OK?
WALSH: Thomas is a French officer. French military policy is to only release first names. He says NATO partners are working closely together as they conduct beach landings and simulate handling mass casualties. But asked about the relationship between President Donald Trump and France's Emmanuel Macron, Thomas is more circumspect.
THOMAS: In French military, we don't say politics. So I don't have an opinion on that one, OK? Sorry for that one. I think you know - I think military is the same for USA, so we don't talk politics.
(SOUNDBITE OF HORN TRUMPETING)
WALSH: The Dixmude is carrying 160 officers in training from 16 different countries, including from the U.S. Navy. They spent two weeks off the coast of Norfolk. U.S. Admiral Doug Perry ran the exercise as head of NATO's Joint Forces Command - Norfolk. He, too, was just as diplomatic.
DOUG PERRY: While we have challenges of sorting where we've been in the past to what we need to be capable of doing in the future, we are stronger than we've been in years. I don't get involved in politics.
WALSH: But NATO is trying to adapt to the political climate created by the Trump administration. Soon after Perry leaves in September, a British commander will take over as head of the NATO command in Norfolk, which covers the Atlantic and the High North, including Greenland. It's a literal example of the Europeans taking a more direct role in the alliance. News of the change in command came during the 2025 NATO summit after President Trump declared that the U.S. may take Greenland by force. Matthew Kroenig is vice president at the Atlantic Council.
MATTHEW KROENIG: That was really unprecedented, the idea that a NATO ally would attack another NATO ally and really not just any NATO ally, but the United States, the leader of the alliance. And so that really - I think it's hard to underestimate how much that shook European leaders.
WALSH: The U.S. is reviewing the amount of forces available to Europe. As members prepare to meet in Turkey this week, there is hope among NATO leaders that the rhetoric is designed to push Europe to spend more rather than force a break in the alliance, Kroenig says. Ian Brzezinski, a resident fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, is not so sure. He fears the Trump administration may have other reasons to push allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense.
IAN BRZEZINSKI: Basically using burden sharing as a camouflage to hide the real intent, which is to have an absolutely minimal posture in Europe.
WALSH: Back in Norfolk, for the last day of the Navy training exercise, Captain Wolfgang Eckmuller, commander of the German frigate FGS Sachsen, says the alliance is stepping up.
WOLFGANG ECKMULLER: Absolutely. I think it's already happening. If you look at Germany, we boosted our defense budget by five times. And that's quite a huge thing in Germany. We're building so many frigates right now, and that's really impressive.
WALSH: Whether it's enough will be one of the questions answered in Turkey this week.
For NPR News, I'm Steve Walsh in Norfolk, Virginia.
(SOUNDBITE OF MINUTEMEN'S "COHESION")
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
Read the full story at NPR ↗
President Trump is attending a NATO summit in Turkey Trump reiterated his call for the U.S. to take control of Greenland at a meeting with the Turkish president NATO members are conducting joint military exercises, including amphibious operations and mass casualty simulations with 160 officers from 16 countries Germany has increased its defense budget fivefold and is building multiple frigates A British commander will take over as head of NATO's command in Norfolk, replacing a U.S. admiral Trump's statement about potentially taking Greenland by force was unprecedented and shook European leaders NATO leaders hope Trump's criticism is designed to push Europe to spend more on defense Some analysts fear Trump's rhetoric about burden-sharing may be camouflage for intent to reduce U.S. military presence in Europe NATO is stronger than it has been in years despite challenges
Read the full story at NPR ↗
- NATO leaders are meeting in Turkey as President Trump continues criticizing the alliance and calling for increased European defense spending
- Trump's statement about potentially taking Greenland by force prompted shock among European leaders and raised questions about U.S. commitment to NATO
- European NATO members are increasing defense budgets and taking on greater roles, including a British commander taking charge of NATO's Atlantic command previously led by Americans
- Analysts disagree on whether Trump's rhetoric is designed to pressure Europe into higher spending or signals intent to reduce U.S. presence in Europe
- NATO military exercises continue with multinational coordination, suggesting operational continuity despite political tensions