Donald Trump arrived at the NATO summit in Ankara with confrontation on his mind, declaring the ceasefire with Iran finished and unleashing a cascade of complaints about the military alliance, Greenland, and specific member nations.
Standing beside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump characterized Iran's leadership in harsh terms and signaled he was done restraining himself on the subject. "I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them any more. They're scum," he said when asked about the ceasefire status. "They're sick people. They're led by sick people and they're vicious, violent people."
His statement came hours after the US launched strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz and revoked a temporary sanctions waiver that had allowed Tehran to export oil. The action followed Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels earlier in the week.
Trump acknowledged his own negotiators wanted to continue diplomatic talks with Iran but made clear his personal stance had hardened. The escalation underscored rising tensions in the Middle East as the summit convened in Turkey.
Europe's refusal to fully back American military operations in Iran became a prime target for Trump's frustration. He singled out the United Kingdom, which initially blocked use of RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for bombing runs before Prime Minister Keir Starmer reversed course and permitted limited strikes on Iranian missile sites.
"The United Kingdom wouldn't let us use the island for two weeks, so we had to fly back," Trump said, reviving grievances he has aired repeatedly about British reluctance to support wider military action.
The president's 15-minute opening remarks to Rutte ballooned into a wide-ranging grievance session. He circled back to Greenland, insisting the self-governing Arctic territory matters greatly to US interests even though Denmark, its sovereign parent, has no interest in selling. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had already stated upon arrival that Denmark would defend "every inch" of its territory and that Greenland was "of course not for sale."
Trump devoted particular attention to NATO members' defense spending, an irritant he has nursed for years. Despite last year's agreement by all members except Spain to reach 3.5 percent of GDP on defense budgets by 2035, Trump framed the alliance's contributions as inadequate and unfairly distributed.
"I'm very upset with Nato, that we pay far, far too much," he said. "Billions and billions of dollars, too much, because it's unfair, because we're protecting them, so we protect them, but they're not there for us."
Spain bore the brunt of a new threat. After the country declined to adopt the 3.5 percent target, Trump told Rutte to exclude it from alliance planning. "I don't want to do any trade with them, alright?" he instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who quickly assented.
NATO officials had prepared for a fractious summit by drafting a communique ahead of time, hoping to steer clear of the public disputes that defined this year's gathering. The goal was to highlight over $50 billion in joint arms purchases meant to demonstrate credible deterrence against Russian aggression.
Yet Trump's opening salvo suggested the strategy of "Trump-proofing" the summit might prove futile. European leaders had braced for tension after a NATO dinner the previous night, anticipating Wednesday's formal sessions could grow heated as Middle East events spiraled.
A Bloomberg report indicated NATO might skip holding a summit in 2027, perhaps reflecting hope among alliance members for calmer conditions in the future and avoidance of a repeat of the current discord.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's combustible mix of threats and complaints signals NATO has entered a new phase of instability, one where the alliance must scramble to keep the US committed while managing his demands that increasingly stretch beyond traditional security concerns."
Comments