NATO leaders gathered in Ankara to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to remain committed to the alliance. The summit was overshadowed by Trump launching new military strikes on Iran and his harsh criticism of European allies.
The U.S. President lashed out, claiming that his allies did not stand with the U.S. in the Iran war. He stated that he might have boycotted the meeting if not for his friendship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The U.S. administration announced that it had launched new military operations against Iran in retaliation for attacks on three tankers and had revoked the license allowing Iran to sell oil. This move dealt a blow to the fragile ceasefire agreement in the region.
Rutte: U.S. strikes 'absolutely necessary'
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the new U.S. strikes on Iran. Rutte said, "You have a ceasefire and Iran is fundamentally violating it. I think it is extremely important that the U.S. responds strongly," describing the strikes as "absolutely necessary."
NATO announced arms deals worth at least $50 billion to demonstrate that its European members are increasing defense spending.
Trump said he was "very disappointed" with the alliance and that the U.S. was "not treated well" during the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. He accused European nations of not allowing U.S. forces to use their airspace and bases during the war.
Trump targets Italian Prime Minister Meloni
Trump also put his former close ally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in the crosshairs of his criticism. He said his relationship with Meloni had "deteriorated somewhat because she refused to help us on Iran."
The U.S. President also reiterated that Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark, should be controlled by the U.S. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking in Ankara, stressed that Greenland was not for sale, saying, "We are ready to defend every inch of NATO territory... Of course we will defend the Kingdom of Denmark."
Collective defense commitment at summit
The main session of the summit, attended by 32 NATO leaders, took place on Wednesday. Ambassadors of all NATO members approved a summit declaration containing an "unwavering commitment" to collective defense.
The U.S. decided to withdraw troops from Europe, reduce forces allocated to NATO defense plans, and launch a six-month review of its military presence on the continent as part of efforts to shift its military focus to the Indo-Pacific. European leaders, however, said they were ready to increase their defense responsibilities but wanted an orderly transition to avoid gaps that could be exploited by Russia.
