Trump Continues to Push His Agenda at NATO Summit in Turkey

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump achieved a significant goal at the previous NATO summit: getting alliance members to boost their defense spending. As he attends the summit in Turkey, enforcing that commitment is his key objective. Most NATO nations have begun responding to Trump’s call to allocate 5% of their GDP to defense over the next decade, showing just how the U.S. president has influenced the alliance. Despite ongoing disputes over issues like the Iran conflict, Trump’s Scandinavian ambitions, and other disagreements, Trump is steadfast in his defense stance.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matt Whitaker, emphasized Trump’s insistence on allies meeting the 5% defense spending target promptly and with urgency. Trump will journey to this summit despite grievances over U.S. defense spending, which he aired in meetings with the alliance secretary-general, Mark Rutte. Rutte presented extensive charts illustrating the increase in spending commitments, dubbed “The Trump Trillion,” since 2017.

At the upcoming Ankara summit, Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, termed the meeting as a crucial review following last year’s summit. Successful strategy demonstrations by members could allow Trump to claim a diplomatic win. The focus will be on Ukraine, where leaders will discuss the ongoing five-year conflict with Russia. The White House confirmed a meeting between Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy on Wednesday.

Additionally, Trump plans to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, though specific goals remain unclear. This meeting follows Trump’s speculation about Syria’s role in combat operations in Lebanon, despite al-Sharaa’s disinterest. A bilateral meeting with Turkey’s President Erdogan, a close ally, is also anticipated. Trump will, however, have no such meetings planned with other leaders.

Despite seeming camaraderie at the recent G7 summit, Trump quickly reignited tensions. He commented on British PM Keir Starmer’s resignation and claimed Italian PM Giorgia Meloni desired a photo op with him, prompting her to deny the allegation and cancel foreign minister plans for a U.S. visit. Trump fueled the controversy further via social media.

In response, a bipartisan group from Capitol Hill aims to counter Trump’s hostility towards NATO by attending the summit. Led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., this delegation seeks to reinforce the critical role of allies in U.S. national security and economic achievements.

Trump’s administration champions a vision for “NATO 3.0,” promoting Europe’s self-sufficiency in defense to allow U.S. strategic shifts. This concept, introduced by Elbridge Colby, U.S. undersecretary of defense, entails greater European responsibility. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced this by announcing a review of U.S. forces in Europe. Countries had anticipated cooperation in this transition and were surprised by Trump’s mixed signals, such as deploying and retracting 5,000 troops in Poland.

Sen. Shaheen criticized “NATO 3.0,” citing insufficient awareness of threats posed by Putin to both Europe and the U.S. Although Europe is increasing spending per Trump’s goals, reliance on the U.S. prevails.

NATO, beyond spending commitments, strives for harmony with Trump. By introducing “Arctic Sentry,” a military exercise countering Russia and China, the alliance addresses Trump’s Greenland ambitions. This move aligns with Trump’s notion of acquiring the territory from Denmark for strategic reasons.

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.