US President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with NATO during his meeting with the alliance’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, at the opening of the NATO summit in Ankara. He criticized what he described as the unwillingness of some allies to support Washington in confronting Iran, in addition to disagreements related to Greenland.
Trump said he was “very upset with NATO,” adding that he was dissatisfied with the alliance’s performance due to what he considered its lack of support for the United States in confronting “the number one state sponsor of terrorism,” referring to Iran.
Trump also escalated his criticism of Spain, saying that the United States did not wish to continue trade relations with it, accusing Madrid of failing to meet its defense spending commitments within the alliance. He said that “Spain is a lost cause,” while Rutte defended Madrid, pointing to the steps it had taken to increase its military spending.
In a related development, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said exchanges of fire between the United States and Iran “further complicate already fraught talks to end the war.”
“Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait are unacceptable,” she said on X, adding EU foreign ministers would discuss with their Gulf counterparts Monday how to “preserve freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea.
The NATO summit also saw the participation of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who arrived in Ankara at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He is scheduled to meet with Trump on the sidelines of the summit. Trump praised al-Sharaa, stating that he had succeeded in strengthening security and unifying the country. The visit comes within the framework of the rapprochement between Damascus and Washington after years of estrangement.
Trump has taken steps to support the new Syrian authorities, most notably lifting sanctions imposed during the era of Bashar al-Assad, at a time when Damascus is seeking to attract investment to rebuild the country.
The Syrian government, however, faces security challenges, the latest of which was a series of bombings in Damascus that resulted in deaths and injuries. The authorities have vowed to pursue those responsible. (AFP)
