Trump Attacks International Solidarity, Calls U.S. NATO Support 'Ridiculous' Before Turkey Summit
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President Trump, continuing his campaign against global cooperation, labeled U.S. contributions to NATO as 'ridiculous' and dismissed the alliance's value, just days before a crucial summit in Ankara.
President Donald Trump, in yet another display of nationalist rhetoric, took to his Truth Social platform on Thursday to denounce the United States' 'one-sided' relationship with NATO, calling continued support 'ridiculous.' Trump, who has consistently undermined international alliances and multilateralism, claimed the alliance is not reciprocal and accused European allies of failing to support the U.S. He shared a chart highlighting U.S. defense spending, which far surpasses that of other NATO members, as if military expenditure alone justifies abandoning collective security. Trump has a history of criticizing European partners, including over restrictions on U.S. bases tied to the conflict in Iran, and has even threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO—a reckless move that would require congressional approval. He repeated his demand that Europe shoulder more of its own defense, referencing last year's agreement by NATO leaders to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a figure that would funnel even more resources into militarism at the expense of social needs. These remarks come less than a week before a pivotal NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where leaders from 32 member states are set to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the future of the alliance in the face of mounting right-wing pressure.