Trump says 'ridiculous' for US to maintain current support for NATO
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters after signing an executive order dealing with automobile repairs with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in the Oval Office at the White House on June 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump followed up the signing by answering questions about the SAVE America Act. Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
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Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "They were not there for us!!!" and Washington's relationship with NATO "is not reciprocal."
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at European allies over their response to the war in Iran, as several countries restricted the use of bases for US forces.
Trump also insists he wants Europe to take the lead role for its own defense, and Washington has already moved to scale back commitments.
His Truth Social post on Thursday included a chart displaying the amount of NATO spending, with the United States investing vastly more than a few other member states depicted.
Under pressure from Trump, NATO leaders had agreed at a gathering last year to boost defense-related spending to five percent of GDP by 2035.
The upcoming NATO summit, which will bring together 32 member states, will be held in the Turkish capital on July 7-8.
The alliance, founded in 1949, became a US-led defense force credited with maintaining stability in Europe, keeping the Soviet Union at bay and solidifying Washington as a world power for decades to come.
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