NATO leaders on Wednesday declared the alliance “more together than ever” after a chaotic summit in Ankara that saw US President Donald Trump alternate between fiery ultimatums and declarations of “tremendous unity,” overshadowing the meeting’s formal agenda with personal grievances and geopolitical provocations.

Trump opened the two-day gathering by threatening to sever all US trade with Spain, calling Madrid a “terrible partner” in NATO for refusing to support strikes against Iran, and renewing demands to acquire Greenland from Denmark. He also declared the fragile ceasefire with Tehran “over,” warning that Washington could strike Iran “hard again tonight.” Yet by the summit’s close, Trump pivoted to effusive praise, telling reporters there had been “a lot of love in that room” and that NATO was “more together than ever.”

The contrast between Trump’s public outbursts and the alliance’s formal communiqué underscored the summit’s volatility. In a joint declaration, NATO’s 32 members reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to collective defense under Article 5, pledged $80 billion in military aid to Ukraine for 2026, and hailed a “historic” increase in European defense spending. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared the summit a “turning point,” asserting that “the days of European free-riding are over” and that the alliance was now “more European than ever.”

Trump’s unpredictability dominated the proceedings. He met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—after previously berating him at the White House last year—and announced the US would license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles, a move Kyiv has long sought as Russia intensifies its air campaign. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has cultivated close ties with Trump, defended the president’s criticism of the alliance while insisting the summit had delivered “more than $50 billion in procurement deals.”

The summit’s most destabilizing moment came when Trump tied future US troop levels in Europe to a resolution of the Greenland dispute, telling reporters, “Much will depend on Greenland.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen swiftly reiterated that Greenland “does not wish to be part of the United States,” and former Trump national security advisor John Bolton dismissed the president’s remarks as unserious.

Despite the turbulence, European leaders sought to frame the summit as a success. French President Emmanuel Macron said he heard no complaints from Trump behind closed doors, while Rutte praised the president for forcing allies to address defense spending gaps. Yet analysts warned that Trump’s erratic performance—ranging from threats to cut trade with Spain to cozying up to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—had exposed deep fissures. “The alliance survived Trump’s visit, but the question is for how long,” said one European diplomat.

As Air Force One departed Ankara, the summit’s legacy remained unclear. NATO had secured fresh commitments on Ukraine and defense spending, but Trump’s unpredictable diplomacy had left allies questioning whether the alliance’s unity was built on shifting sands.

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Articles

LILLEY: Donald Trump still finds reasons to grumble despite big win at NATO summit

gdeltproject.org · about 7 hours ago

Trump says a lot of unity at NATO summit after lashing out at allies

gdelt bot · about 7 hours ago

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adevarul · about 7 hours ago

Trump tempers fury to end NATO summit on high note

gdeltproject.org · about 8 hours ago

Trump at the NATO summit sulking: Betrayed by the allies, I am here in Türkiye only for my friend Erdogan

gdeltproject.org · about 8 hours ago

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baltic times · about 8 hours ago

Türkiyes Fidan hosts NATO foreign ministers at Ankara summit Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday presided over two ministerial sessions during the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, convening the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative gathering and the NATO-Ukraine Council to discuss regional security frameworks and bilateral cooperation opportunities.

yenisafak · about 8 hours ago

Rutte: Trump equalized defense spending between Europe and US NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has credited President Donald Trump with finally equalizing defense spending between Europe and the United States, a goal American presidents have pursued since Eisenhower. He called for a much stronger Europe within NATO and a NATO 3.0 framework, while warning adversaries not to fool with us.

yenisafak · about 8 hours ago

NATO allies focus on Arctic, defence spending, Ukraine on summits final day NATO leaders gathered for the second day of the Ankara summit, with security in the Arctic, defence spending, Irans nuclear ambitions, and military support for Ukraine dominating the agenda. Rutte credited Trump with rebalancing defence spending, while Poland pushed for a permanent US base and Hungary reiterated its opposition to deeper involvement in Ukraine.

yenisafak · about 8 hours ago

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yenisafak · about 8 hours ago

Trumps European allies add distance on Iran following testy NATO summitPresident Donald Trump spent two days in Ankara, Turkey with other NATO member leaders. #News #Trump #US #NATO

mastodon bot · about 8 hours ago

Erdoğan welcomes NATO leaders as Ankara summit kicks off President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed NATO leaders at the 36th summit in Ankara, greeting each head of state including President Trump. A family photo was taken before Erdoğan and Secretary General Rutte delivered opening remarks, with defence investment and Ukraine topping the agenda.

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

NATO summit: Day 2 Day two of the NATO Summit is underway in Ankara, where leaders continue talks on defence spending, regional security and military cooperation ahead of the summits expected conclusion later today.Prepared by @‌mkasgarlii for Yeni Şafak

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

Germanys Merz: Ankara summit will bring new spirit to NATO Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed confidence that the Ankara summit will mark a new spirit within NATO, strengthening cooperation and unity. He said European allies are ramping up defense spending and will make the alliance more European so it can remain transatlantic.

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

Latvian president says Ankara NATO summit to boost defense ties Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said the NATO summit in Ankara will strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and defense industrial partnerships, while reaffirming Rigas support for Ukraines future membership despite the lack of alliance consensus.

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

NATO reaffirms unity, collective defense in Ankara declaration NATO leaders adopted the Ankara Summit Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to Article 5 and collective defense. They announced over $50 billion in new defense procurements and pledged €70 billion in military support for Ukraine in 2026.

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

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yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

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yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

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yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

Turkish FM: NATO Ankara summit concluded successfully Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared the NATO summit in Ankara a success, noting that all allies attended at the leaders level as a sign of confidence in Türkiye and President Erdoğan. He said the summit laid the foundations for a stronger Europe within a stronger NATO under the NATO 3.0 vision.

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

Trump lauds Erdogan as great leader, hails Ankara summit US President Donald Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "great leader" and long-time friend on Wednesday as the two-day NATO summit concluded in Ankara, saying the alliance demonstrated "tremendous unity" while urging members to accelerate plans to meet the 5 GDP defense spending benchmark.

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

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yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

Merz says Ankara summit marks dawn of new, more European NATO German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday praised the Ankara summit as the dawn of a new era for NATO in which European nations assume greater responsibility for their own defense, acknowledging that US President Donald Trump was right to criticize years of European underinvestment.

yenisafak · about 9 hours ago

US President Donald Trump demanded NATO members increase defense spending to 5 of their GDP following European refusal to join the US-Iran conflict. The summit also yielded a surprise deal for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles. #NATO #Geopolitics #USPolitics #News

mastodon bot · about 9 hours ago

Takeaways: Trump leaves NATO summit declaring a lot of love with allies after a rocky startNATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the message from a summit in Ankara, Turkey, is that NATO delivers. #News #Trump #NATO #Ukraine

mastodon bot · about 9 hours ago

NATO summit begins in Ankara today - The Baltic Times RIGA - The NATO summit will take place in the Turkish city of Ankara today and tomorrow. Latvian President Edgars Rink......

baltic times · about 9 hours ago

Trump Disrupts NATO Summit With Greenland Demands and Attacks on Allies

gdelt bot · about 10 hours ago

After Insulting Allies at NATO Summit, Trump Says They Love Him The meeting in Turkey featured President Trump at his most mercurial, veering from scorn to praise for European countries, including some whose patience with mollifying him has worn thin.

new york times · about 10 hours ago

Was the NATO Summit a success? #Europa #Europe #NATO #OTAN

mastodon bot · about 10 hours ago

NATO summit in Ankara: How Donald Trump and European leaders reached a surprise agreement on Ukraine missile defence

gdeltproject.org · about 11 hours ago