NATO summit in Ankara tests alliance unity as Trump demands loyalty over money

Rutte's flattery offensive

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has made keeping the United States inside the alliance his top priority since taking office nearly two years ago. At a White House meeting last month, he unveiled a chart titled "The Trump Trillion" with gold lettering, showing that European allies and Canada have spent an additional $1.2 trillion on defense since 2017, the year Donald Trump began his first term. Rutte also stressed the economic payoff for the US: tens of thousands of jobs and roughly $300 billion in orders for the American defense industry.

I want to show you what this president has achieved.

Claudia Major, a transatlantic security expert at the German Marshall Fund, said leaders will try to signal that the alliance remains strong and attempt to "make Trump happy and demonstrate NATO's importance."

Trump's loyalty test

Trump appeared unmoved by the spending figures. He remains frustrated that several allies refused to join the military campaign he launched with Israel against Iran, without consulting them first.

We don't need their money — we don't need anything. I just want loyalty.

The US president suggested he might have skipped the summit altogether had it not been hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a leader he appears to hold in particular regard.

European defense anxieties

European governments are under pressure to turn increased budgets into real military capabilities, driven by fears of a possible Russian attack. The situation has been complicated by a Pentagon announcement that it will reduce the number of troops, ships, planes and drones earmarked for NATO in the event of an attack on a member state. Trump has also sent contradictory messages about the future of the US military presence in Europe. A study published this week notes that Russia continues to test European reaction times with drone flights near military bases in several countries.

The Ankara summit

1. 2017Trump begins first term; European allies and Canada start increasing defense spending, eventually reaching a cumulative $1.2 trillion by 2026.
2. 2025At a summit in the Netherlands, NATO allies commit to invest as much as the United States relative to GDP.
3. June 2026Rutte presents 'The Trump Trillion' chart at the White House, highlighting $1.2 trillion in allied spending and $300 billion in US defense orders.
4. 7 July 2026NATO summit opens in Ankara, Turkey, with 32 leaders confronting tensions over the Iran war, Russian threats and US commitment.

The summit on 7 July brings together leaders of all 32 NATO members at a moment of heightened uncertainty. Last year's gathering in the Netherlands secured commitments from allies to invest as much as the United States relative to GDP. This year the focus shifts to converting those funds into deployable forces while preserving the principle of collective defense. Rutte's strategy, lavish praise for Trump, emphasis on allied burden-sharing, and avoidance of public disputes, will be tested as the alliance confronts wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and an unpredictable American partner.