Trump Criticizes NATO Allies at Ankara Summit Over Support in U.S. War With Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump renewed criticism of NATO allies during the alliance’s summit in Ankara, Turkey, saying he was “very” disappointed with Europe’s response to the U.S. war with Iran.

Trump told reporters that he might not have attended the NATO summit had it not been hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, while criticizing NATO allies for what he said was their reluctance to support him in his conflict with Iran.

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At the summit news conference, Trump said, “Germany turned us down, and France turned us down,” referring to what he condemned as a lack of help to the U.S. in the Iran war.

Trump also said, “Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and they're not there for us? We've always been there for them,” linking his grievances to the alliance’s role in protecting European countries from Russia.

The BBC reported Trump said he was “very” disappointed with Europe’s response to the U.S. war with Iran and framed his requests for support as a test of whether allies would be there for Washington.

Trump’s remarks were delivered alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after arriving in Ankara for the NATO summit, with Reuters and AFP quotes carried in coverage that described the Iran conflict as a test of alliance support.

In that framing, Trump said, “I was very disappointed with Nato,” and added, “We didn’t need any help at all, and in a way, I was testing people, I was testing to see whether or not they’d be there for us,” according to AFP as quoted by Firstpost.

ABC News

The BBC also reported Trump said, “We didn't need anybody's help at all,” and explained that he was testing whether allies would be there for the U.S. after he said the U.S. had helped Europe.

ABC News reported the summit would be held Tuesday and Wednesday at the Beştepe Presidential Compound and chaired by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, with Trump expected to take part in bilateral meetings with Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

ABC News further said a senior U.S. official told reporters that the agenda would include ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while adding that many NATO allies “don't have the necessary ships or assets to contribute to a meaningful maritime effort.”

Coverage tied the Iran war to strain on U.S. air-defense stocks and raised questions about what that means for NATO and partners, including Ukraine.

“President Donald Trump will head to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, this week as an unstable ceasefire between the U”

ABC News

Newsweek reported that a CSIS report released on April 21 said the U.S. used 45 percent of its critical Patriot missile interceptors and over 53 percent of its THAAD interceptors during the Iran war, and that in 39 days before an April 8 ceasefire, U.S. forces expended more than half its pre-war inventory in four out of seven munitions.

Newsweek also quoted Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, saying, “All the interceptors used up in the Middle East really strained global PAC-2 and PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability) stocks,” and warned that depleted inventories would affect the supply of Patriot, THAADs, and Precision Strike Missiles to Ukraine and other allies.

ABC News said Matt Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, described the summit as measuring progress toward NATO allies spending 5% of their GDP on defense, while noting that Germany is on track for the 5%, reaching it in 2029.

Boursorama reported NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called for a “revolution” in the defense industry within the Alliance, warning, “We do not have the luxury of waiting. We need capabilities now to ensure that we remain ready,” as the war with Iran highlighted fissures within NATO.