Trump berates NATO and praises Erdogan as summit starts
Trump pushed NATO allies to raise defense spending and buy American arms as European leaders unveiled tens of billions of dollars in new contracts.
- President Donald Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara on July 9, shifting from initial criticism to praising the alliance's "tremendous unity" by the event's conclusion.
- Wednesday's summit began with a rocky start when Trump lambasted Spain as a "terrible partner" and ordered a trade cutoff, while railing against NATO allies for their reluctance to support U.S. military strikes in Iran.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte worked to allay Trump's frustrations, while leaders employed flattery behind closed doors, prompting Trump to remark, "They said, 'Sir, we love you.' These are grown people saying that."
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez characterized his discussion with Trump as "very cordial," while NATO pledged $80 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year and next.
- This "whiplash-inducing spectacle" reflects Trump's established pattern, as his unpredictable rhetoric regarding allies and territorial demands like Greenland continue complicating transatlantic relations despite recent progress.
62 Articles
62 Articles
In just three hours, Donald Trump went from threatening to cut off trade with Spain and defining his European allies as “useless” for not helping him in his war against Iran, to telling NATO leaders that during the Ankara summit he felt “love in the air.”
Al-Monitor
From threats to praise, Trump keeps allies guessing at NATO summit
By Gram Slattery and Humeyra PamukANKARA, July 9 (Reuters) - As they prepared for this week's NATO summit in Ankara, the leaders of America's allies wondered which Donald Trump would join them - the friendly U.S. president who has praised the dedication of NATO allies or the testy Trump who has threatened to implode the 77-year-old alliance?It turns out they got both.
Trump admitted he found it "hard to believe" how relations with Kyiv had changed. US President Donald Trump unexpectedly changed his tone toward Ukraine at the NATO summit in Ankara. European allies viewed this as a significant shift in Kyiv's favor, according to RBC-Ukraine, citing the Financial Times. What Trump said about Ukraine The most unexpected moment of the summit, according to the FT, was the US president's warm words about Ukraine dur…
Trump threatens, praises and reassures allies at NATO summit
In Turkey, the American president, after criticizing Spain and reiterating his ambitions regarding Greenland, reaffirmed his commitment to the alliance's mutual defense clause and gave Ukraine the green light to produce Patriot missiles under license.
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- 49% of the sources are Center
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