Trump Voices Disappointment With NATO at Ankara Summit

President Trump said Tuesday he was disappointed with NATO and might have skipped the alliance’s annual summit if it were not being held in Turkey. The president made the remarks after arriving in Ankara, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan greeted him on the tarmac and arranged a horseback escort for his motorcade to the presidential compound.

Trump praised his host and noted Turkey’s assistance during the Iran conflict. He said other alliance members had refused base access for operations against Iran and had not helped reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “We weren’t treated well,” Trump told reporters.

” The president added that the United States had tested whether allies would provide support and found they were not there when needed.

Trump said the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars on NATO while some members do not reciprocate. He repeated his demand that the United States acquire Greenland from Denmark, citing its strategic location. “Well, that’s what hurt my relationship with NATO,” he said of the Greenland issue.

He also suggested the United States could remove its soldiers from Europe. Officials have said the president plans to press European allies at the summit to increase defense spending, including making a 5%-of-GDP target mandatory.

““I was very disappointed with NATO, and frankly if [the summit] weren’t held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader… it’s possible that I wouldn’t have attended.””