President Donald Trump criticized NATO allies over defense costs, Iran and Greenland during a meeting in Ankara, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised him for pushing members to increase military spending.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has carried too much of NATO’s defense burden, arguing during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara, Turkey, that allied countries have relied on American protection while failing to provide enough support to Washington.
Trump made the remarks while appearing with Rutte before a summit meeting, renewing his criticism of NATO’s cost-sharing arrangements and saying the United States has spent far more than it should to defend other member countries.
“We’ve been treated unfairly,” Trump said. “We pay disproportionately.
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“I’m very upset with NATO that we pay far, far too much, 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.”
Trump said his concerns extended beyond defense spending, pointing to what he described as insufficient NATO support during recent U.S. military operations against Iran. The president said he sought cooperation from several major European allies after confronting Iran, which he described as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
According to Trump, he personally contacted the leaders of Germany, France, Britain and Italy to ask for additional help but was dissatisfied with the responses he received.
The president reserved some of his strongest criticism for Spain, calling the country “a terrible partner in NATO.” He said the United States should consider stopping trade with Spain because of its defense spending levels and its refusal to support U.S. military operations.
Trump also raised Greenland during his remarks, repeating his view that the strategically located Arctic territory is important to U.S. national security. He criticized resistance to American ambitions involving Greenland, placing the issue among several points of tension surrounding the summit.
The comments came as CNN reported that Trump arrived in Ankara frustrated over Iran, Greenland and what he views as years of European allies failing to invest adequately in their own defense while the United States covered most of the alliance’s costs.
Rutte, however, praised Trump’s pressure campaign, crediting him with helping secure more than $1.2 trillion in additional defense commitments from Canada and European NATO countries. Rutte said those commitments are also benefiting the United States by supporting nearly 200,000 American jobs through purchases from U.S. defense manufacturers.
Rutte also defended NATO’s role in recent operations involving Iran, saying thousands of flights departed from European bases in support of the U.S.-led mission and that many allies provided substantial logistical assistance.
Trump complimented Rutte during the meeting, calling him “a great leader” and NATO’s “biggest asset.” But he said past administrations under former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and George W. Bush had not done enough to pressure allies to spend more on their own defense.
Rutte framed the shift in allied defense spending as a Trump achievement.
“You did what Eisenhower started trying to do,” Rutte told Trump. “It’s your win.”
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