Donald Trump criticizes NATO ahead of Ankara summit

U.S. President Donald Trump has described the United States' relationship with NATO as "ridiculous" and "unbalanced" in a post on Truth Social. Trump claims the U.S. has spent nearly 1 trillion dollars protecting allies from 2014 to 2025 without receiving sufficient reciprocity. This rhetoric precedes the NATO summit scheduled to begin in Ankara on July 8. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other officials maintain that the alliance is vital for U.S. security and note that European members are increasing defense spending to meet new targets of 5% of GDP by 2035. During his visit to Turkey, Trump is expected to hold bilateral talks with President Tayyip Erdogan, with discussions potentially covering military cooperation, such as the sale of engines for the KAAN fighter jet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is also slated to attend a dinner hosted by Erdogan. While European officials express concerns over transatlantic tensions, they hope the summit will consolidate combat-ready capabilities and continued support for Ukraine.