Trump to attend NATO summit in Türkiye amid alliance tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend next month's NATO leaders' summit in Türkiye, ending weeks of uncertainty over whether he would take part in a gathering expected to focus on the future of the alliance.

The confirmation came from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a congressional hearing on Wednesday. Trump's attendance is likely to reassure NATO allies, many of whom have been concerned by his increasingly critical comments about the alliance.

"The United States is still in the NATO alliance, and we'll be there in Türkiye to talk about all these topics," Rubio told lawmakers.

"The president himself will be attending the next NATO meeting of heads of state, where all these points will be made clear."

The summit will take place in Ankara on 7 and 8 July.

Growing frustration over burden-sharing

Trump has long argued that NATO members should contribute more towards their own defence.

During his first term, he repeatedly pressed allies to meet the alliance's target of spending 2% of GDP on defence. In his second term, he has gone further, calling for spending to rise to 5%.

The president has also criticised what he sees as an overreliance on American military support and security guarantees.

His frustration has reportedly grown in recent months after several NATO countries declined to support U.S. military operations against Iran. Some refused to allow U.S. aircraft to use their airspace, while others declined requests to contribute naval forces.

Rubio said one of Trump's main concerns was that some allies had not provided access to military bases during a time of crisis.

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'Most important meeting in NATO's history'

Despite the tensions, Rubio stressed that Washington remains committed to the alliance.

"I think the next meeting of NATO in Türkiye in July is probably the most important meeting in NATO's history, because there are some things here that need to be cleared up and fixed," he said.

He added that NATO needed significant changes, echoing concerns repeatedly raised by Trump.

The president has previously described NATO as a "paper tiger" and has threatened to withdraw the United States from the alliance. Those remarks have unsettled European governments, which continue to rely heavily on U.S. military support.

Allies face pressure to do more

At the same time, Washington is reducing some of its direct contributions to NATO operations and has urged European allies and Canada to take on greater responsibility.

Planned changes include reductions in the number of aircraft and naval assets assigned to alliance missions. The number of F-15 fighter jets is expected to be cut by around a third, while deployments of Reaper drones are set to be reduced by half.

For many European leaders, the summit comes at a sensitive moment. The continent continues to face security challenges linked to Russia's war in Ukraine, while uncertainty remains over the future direction of U.S. foreign policy.

Under former President Joe Biden, Washington provided billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine and reaffirmed its commitment to NATO. Trump's return to office has prompted renewed questions about the long-term nature of that commitment.

High-stakes gathering in Ankara

NATO leaders have met annually since 2021, but this year's gathering is expected to be particularly closely watched.

Diplomats and officials across the alliance will be looking for signs of whether differences between Washington and its allies can be managed or whether they risk deepening further.

For now, Trump's decision to attend ensures he will be at the centre of discussions about NATO's future, even as he continues to challenge some of the alliance's core assumptions.

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