U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at NATO allies on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) at a summit in Ankara, as the fallout from his war with Iran threatened to overshadow the key gathering.

With tensions peaking after an overnight flareup between U.S. and Iranian forces, Mr. Trump declared the Iran ceasefire was “over”, then took aim at NATO allies who failed to back his campaign against Tehran.

West Asia war: Follow LIVE updates on July 8, 2026

And he insisted he still wanted Greenland, calling European resistance to his stance a “big problem”.

“I’m very upset with NATO.. because of what they did with Greenland, and.. because of the fact that they didn’t want to help us with the number one state sponsor of terror, that’s Iran,” he said.

Mr. Trump singled out Spain for particular criticism calling it a “terrible partner in NATO”.

“Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,” he said, dragging up a bitter row that also touches on Madrid’s defence spending, urging his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut it off”.

And he raked up more sensitive territory by reiterating his desire for NATO member Denmark’s territory of Greenland.

“Greenland is a big problem for us,” he told reporters, saying it was “very important for the United States, but it’s not important for Denmark”.

“We need it for protection of the world, not just the United States.. It doesn’t help Denmark, but it helps us.”

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had earlier issued a terse response to Mr. Trump’s remarks a day earlier, saying: “Greenland is, of course, not for sale.”

Allies anxious

NATO chief Mark Rutte had earlier sought to shore up confidence in Washington’s “complete commitment” to the military alliance as anxious allies readied for a face-to-face meeting with the mercurial U.S. leader.

As he landed in Turkiye on Tuesday (July 7, 2026), Mr. Trump was effusive in his praise for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, highlighting their “chemistry” in remarks that contrasted sharply with his lingering bitterness with European allies.

The summit comes at a fraught time for the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance, with Mr. Trump demanding members make good on a pledge to ramp up defence spending as Washington takes a step back from Europe.

On the eve of the key session, the alliance published figures showing core defence spending by Europe had risen by 11% in 2026 and would hit $634 billion, up from $571 billion a year earlier.

Keen to avoid a new confrontation with Mr. Trump, NATO allies unveiled tens of billions in new arms contracts on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) in a bid to prove they were making good on a pledge to hike defence spending.

“Yesterday was a great success,” Mr. Rutte said on Wednesday (July 8, 2026), saying allies were “delivering” by moving to take more responsibility for the defence of their continent in the face of Russia.

“This is a big win for the American president.”

With NATO keen to focus the U.S. leader’s attention on its surging defence budgets, stalled efforts to halt the Ukraine war were also back on the agenda, with Mr. Trump saying he believed both sides wanted to end the fighting.

“I think they both want to make a deal,” said Mr. Trump, who will meet Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy later on Wednesday (July 8, 2026).

With negotiations at an impasse, Mr. Trump spoke with Russia’s Vladimir Putin before flying to Turkiye and was to “follow up” with him after meeting Mr. Zelenskyy, a U.S. official said.

Europe and Canada are set to pledge to keep military support flowing to Ukraine to the tune of €70 billion ($80 billion) a year in both 2026 and 2027.

Mr. Trump will also hold talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he seeks to rebuild the country’s international image as it emerges from years of civil war.

The meeting comes a day after the Syrian leader hosted French President Emmanuel Macron for a landmark state visit that was overshadowed by twin bomb attacks that wounded 18 in the capital Damascus.

Although Mr. Trump still appears rankled over restrictions some allies put on U.S. forces using bases at the start of the Iran conflict, he brought welcome news for Mr. Erdogan, saying he would consider selling Turkiye F-35 fighter jets and would roll back sanctions.

Ankara was booted out of the F-35 programme in 2019 after buying a Russian defence system, and has long sought a way to regain admittance and to secure the lifting of U.S. sanctions that have soured ties and hampered Turkish defence projects.

Published – July 08, 2026 03:21 pm IST

U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts are gathering in Turkey on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) for a two-day summit that comes at a turning point in the organisation’s history as the United States steps back from its traditional security role in Europe.

Ahead of the meeting in Ankara, Mr. Trump has insisted on “loyalty” after some NATO countries baulked at allowing U.S. forces to use their bases for attacks on Iran. He listed big European members Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain for criticism.

A NATO summit is a highly symbolic moment when the 32 member countries of the world’s biggest military alliance underline their unshakeable commitment to each other’s security. This year, though, the trans-Atlantic bond has rarely seemed more fragile.

Still, the meeting is being organised around the theme of a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO. The Trump administration has called for a reboot to a “NATO 3.0,” and it’s hoped that what this really means will become clearer over the next two days.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is hosting the summit at his vast Bestepe Presidential Compound on the western edge of the Turkish capital, Ankara. A new airport, converted from an old military airfield, has been unveiled especially to host NATO leaders.

Security will be high. Air defences are on alert, and tens of thousands of police will be on duty. Nearby neighbourhoods are closed to traffic and some state workers have been given time off to help keep roads unclogged. Public gatherings are banned.

More than a dozen people were detained in security sweeps ahead of the summit, including two journalists, the Turkish Journalists Association said.

On Tuesday (July 7) evening, Erdogan will host a dinner in his “Winter Garden.” Top officials from Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand will join their NATO partners. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to attend.

At the dinner, foreign ministers will hold a NATO Ukraine Council, while the alliance’s Defence Ministers will meet with their Indo-Pacific counterparts. A separate meeting with officials from Gulf Arab countries will also take place, and Mr. Trump will meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

NATO leaders alone will hold a single working session on Wednesday (July 8) morning. They’ll publish a short statement summarising the results of their meeting once it’s over.

Officially topping the agenda is defence spending — a perennial issue at NATO as the U.S. presses allies to do more. Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted a 20% annual spending hike by European allies and Canada in 2025.

This is unlikely to be enough to satisfy the Trump administration, even after the leaders agreed at their last summit to boost investment to the same level as the United States, in gross domestic product terms. The 2026 U.S. military budget is set at $901 billion, or about 3.3% of GDP.

NATO also wants to highlight the way it’s converting the billions pouring in from State coffers into new military kit that’s adapted to modern warfare. The summit will be a chance for the organisation to showcase new military projects.

A defence industry forum will be held on the sidelines of the meeting on Tuesday (July 7, 2026), bringing senior NATO and partner officials together with industry leaders, as allies push to ramp up weapons production and spur innovation in new technologies.

Another top agenda item is continued support to Ukraine, now in a fifth year of full-scale war with Russia. European allies and Canada are funding most of Ukraine’s needs, including paying for about 90% of the country’s air defences.

The working session is only expected to last about three hours, but most debate is likely to focus on U.S. force levels in Europe and the off-agenda item of fallout from the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

European allies and Canada will want reassurances, or at least clarity, on U.S. force intentions. Since early last year, they have often been blindsided — and sometimes confounded — by President Trump’s declarations on cutting troop numbers.

Ahead of the summit, the Pentagon surprised the allies by announcing a 6-month review of the U.S. presence. It’s focused on progress Europe makes to defend itself, but also on whether the U.S. has full base access and overflight.

NATO played no active role in the Iran war and has no overarching agreement with the United States on the shared use of bases and airspace, although some of its members do.

At a public meeting with Rutte on June 24, Mr. Trump renewed his criticism of the allies for their reluctance to get involved in the war. “We don’t need their money — we don’t need anything,” he said. “I just want loyalty.”

On joining NATO, member countries pledge loyalty equally to each other through a commitment to collective security — the all-for-one, one-for-all pledge enshrined in Article 5 of NATO’s treaty. That guarantee alone underpins everything the organisation stands for and does. What further loyalty Mr. Trump might require is unclear.

Published – July 07, 2026 11:08 am IST