ANKARA, Turkey – The second day of this year’s NATO summit in Ankara was marked by heightened tensions as U.S. President Donald Trump adopted a confrontational tone toward both allies and adversaries following overnight U.S. strikes on Iran.
Trump said the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran was effectively “over,” though he indicated that diplomatic talks with Tehran could still continue despite the latest military escalation.
Trump Criticizes NATO Allies
Trump once again criticized European allies for what he described as inadequate defense spending, singling out Spain as a “wasted cause” and saying he no longer wanted the United States to conduct trade with the country.
The U.S. president also argued that Washington continues to shoulder an unfair share of NATO’s defense costs.
“We’ve been treated unfairly. We pay disproportionately,” Trump told reporters, adding that the United States was spending “billions of dollars too much” to guarantee Europe’s security.
NATO Leaders Defend Increased Spending
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted significant increases in defense spending by European members and Canada, describing the trend as evidence that allies were taking greater responsibility for collective security.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney echoed those remarks, saying the burden of defense within the alliance was gradually shifting away from the United States.
Denmark Rejects Greenland Proposal
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated that Greenland is “not for sale” after Trump renewed his interest in bringing the autonomous Danish territory under U.S. control.
Frederiksen said Denmark remained fully committed to defending all of its territory under NATO’s collective defense principle.
Ukraine Seeks More Air Defense Support
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported that its air defense systems failed to intercept any of the Russian ballistic missiles launched during overnight attacks.
The latest strikes came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued to urge Western allies to provide additional Patriot air defense interceptors, warning that stronger air defenses remain critical to protecting civilians and infrastructure from intensified Russian missile attacks.
The developments underscored growing divisions within the NATO alliance over defense spending, security commitments and the escalating conflicts in both the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Source: CNN
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