Trump tempers fury to end NATO summit on high note

ANKARA – US President Donald Trump offered NATO allies an unexpected warm embrace as they wrapped up a key summit on July 8 after earlier lashing out at them over their response to his war on Iran.

It was an abrupt swing from antagonism to affection within the space of a few short hours, illustrating the wide range of emotions exhibited by the mercurial US leader.

“It was a great meeting, there was a lot of love in that room, a lot of unity,” Trump told reporters after the closed-door meeting of 32 heads of state at the NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Behind closed doors, Trump had reassured them that he wanted the US to stay in the military alliance, saying, “We want to remain with you”, a source inside the session told AFP.

And that was reflected in the final declaration in which NATO leaders reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to the mutual assistance clause enshrined in Article 5 of the alliance treaty.

“An attack on one is an attack on all,” it said, in wording that sought to ease concerns about Washington’s commitment to the alliance.

With tensions peaking after an overnight flare-up between US and Iranian forces, Trump declared the Iran ceasefire was “over”, then took aim at NATO allies that failed to back his campaign against Tehran.

He also raked up more sensitive territory by reiterating his desire for NATO member Denmark’s territory of Greenland. 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 No. 1 state sponsor of terror, that’s Iran,” he said.

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 any more,” 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”.

But once he came face to face with the leaders behind closed doors, his tone changed markedly, according to the source who attended the talks.

“There is a strong contrast between what Trump says in public and what he actually says inside,” he told AFP.

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 the face-to-face meeting with the US leader.

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

The summit comes at a fraught time for the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance, with 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 per cent in 2026 and would hit US$634 billion (S$820 billion), up from US$571 billion a year earlier.

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

Boost for Ukraine

Stalled efforts to halt the Ukraine war were also back on the agenda, with Trump pledging to give Kyiv “the right to make” Patriot air-defence missiles as he went into talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit.

“We’re going to give a licence to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool, right,” Trump told Zelensky, whose forces have been struggling to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles as supplies of crucial US-made Patriot interceptors run low.

Despite Moscow’s heavy bombardments in recent days, Kyiv appears to be turning the tide by stabilising the front line and conducting strikes deep into Russia – strikes that Trump said could help end the war.

“It’s an escalation, but it’s also an escalation that can help lead to an end,” he added, repeating his belief that both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to strike a deal to halt the fighting.

Also in the final NATO declaration, Europe and Canada pledged to keep military support flowing to Ukraine to the tune of €70 billion (S$103 billion) a year in both 2026 and 2027.

Before leaving Ankara, Trump was also set to 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. AFP