Trump criticizes NATO allies at summit in Ankara amid Iran tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a forceful critique of NATO members at the alliance’s two-day summit in Ankara, saying the United States bears a disproportionate burden in defending allies that spend less on defense. He singled out Spain, Italy, Germany and France for not contributing sufficiently to the war effort against Iran, describing the situation as a test of their commitment.

NATO officials had planned to issue a communiqué reaffirming collective defense and pledging $80 billion in support for Ukraine from Europe and Canada, as well as emphasizing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. After the heads-of-state session, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged NATO to accelerate delivery of Patriot air-defense systems, and with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara before returning to Washington.

The summit follows recent U.S. strikes on Iranian targets in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran retaliated against by hitting U.S. sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte described the American strikes as “absolutely necessary.”

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned that European nations risk prolonging the war and hinted at possible actions against NATO members. Meanwhile, Finland and Lithuania have debated lifting bans on nuclear weapons and other defensive measures, prompting Russian foreign-ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to label such steps as threats to Russian security.

Human-rights groups noted concerns about Turkey’s handling of dissent and media access during the summit, citing arrests of activists and restrictions on journalists. A NATO spokesperson said the alliance relies on the host nation to assess journalist credentials.

The summit’s agenda focused on defense budgets, military-industrial capacity and collective security, with no public discussion of internal governance issues among member states.