NATO Summit in Ankara: Trump Threatens Spain with Trade Stoppage and Reaffirms Claim to Greenland

Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed satisfaction at the end of the meeting. "We have delivered," the German chancellor Friedrich Merz said ahead of the working session at the summit in Ankara. He points to the enormous German arms investments: "We took on this feat of strength." Germany reported defense spending of 124.7 billion euros for the current year, representing a 25.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. Merz spoke of a "feeling of affection and shared responsibility" at the working session of the NATO heads of state and government.

In 32 short addresses, each individual head of government explained to the other 31 how committed they were on the issue of defense. Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared: "Time of free-riding is over." The allies reaffirmed in the final declaration their commitment to collective defense under Article 5. "An attack on one is an attack on all partners," the document states, which the 32 member states consider proof of the summit's success.

Unity in the Final Declaration

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pointed to the first point of the summit declaration, in which the allies reaffirm their commitment to collective defense under Article 5. He said he had wished for more appreciation for the US within NATO, but at the same time assured the partners: "We want to stay with you." Afterward, Trump is full of praise: "It was a great meeting," he says. Rutte spoke of an alliance "that is evolving" and an alliance "that delivers to ensure the security of one billion people."

In the final declaration, all 32 allies stand together behind Ukraine. The final declaration also notes that the NATO states in Ankara decided on new arms procurements worth more than 50 billion dollars. Kyiv is to receive 70 billion euros in support this year. Of that, 30 billion comes from an EU loan. The remaining 40 billion must be shouldered by the NATO states from their national budgets.

Ukraine Aid in the Billions

Because the US has halted its financial Ukraine aid, Germany will assume the lion's share of the sum with 11.5 billion euros. Where the still-missing 8 to 10 billion should come from remains open. In 2027, the aid is to be maintained at least at this level. The catch: production is unlikely to begin before 2028, and Ukraine needs resupply from Western Patriot stockpiles now.

Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Trump referred to the US military support in the Iran conflict, citing 5,000 aircraft that had taken off from Europe to support the US offensive against Iran. Rutte added: 5,000 aircraft had taken off from Europe to support the US offensive against Iran, said the former Dutch prime minister on the sidelines of the summit with reference to the use of European bases by the US Air Force. "They said, 'Sir, we love you,'" Trump quoted the reaction.

Trump Escalates the Iran Conflict

At the same time, Trump escalated his threats against Iran. "I am very angry at NATO," he told journalists. "I am very angry at NATO – about the fact that we are paying far, far too much, billions and billions and billions of dollars too much," Trump fumed on Wednesday morning during a conversation with Rutte. Regarding Iran, he announced: the country would most likely be hit hard again tonight. "Possibly, infrastructure would also be targeted, such as power plants and seawater desalination plants," he said. He called the leadership "sick people."

The US Air Force had bombed dozens of targets in Iran the previous day, in response to the shelling of tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamist regime in Iran had in turn fired on targets in Kuwait and Bahrain, it was said. NATO Secretary General Rutte defended the new US attacks ahead of the summit as "absolutely necessary." Trump worked himself up into ever new tirades, directed primarily at Iran.

Threats Against Spain and Italy

Spain in particular came into the crosshairs: Trump announced that he wanted to halt trade relations with the country entirely. He once again sharply described Spain at the NATO summit in Ankara as a "terrible partner." "NATO has laughed at us," says the US president. Madrid is fighting back aggressively against the US approach in the Iran war. While he again sharply criticized Spain at the NATO summit in Ankara, he said of Italy: "Italy was good." Almost all allies had been good. "They just had a bad moment." Spain, however, had been "very bad," he said.

Regarding Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Trump said the relationship had "cooled somewhat because she refused to help us," but at the same time called Meloni a "nice person." He claimed Meloni had begged him at the G7 summit for a joint photo. Meloni dismissed this as "completely fabricated." Later, Trump followed up with a mocking post, writing on a photo of Meloni and himself: "Restraining order needed."

Greenland Remains a Point of Contention

Trump once again took aim at Denmark and reaffirmed his claim to Greenland. "It doesn't help Denmark, but it helps us and it is very important for us," Trump explained the significance of Greenland at a press conference. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sharply rejected this demand: "Greenland is of course not for sale," she urged Trump to respect the self-determination rights of the world's largest island. Trump had also said, with reference to Denmark's history: "When Denmark was overrun by the Nazis in less than a day, Hitler defeated them."

Trump also became specific with regard to the Iranian oil industry: he once again threatened to take over the island of Kharg, which is important for the Iranian oil industry. He also announced economic sanctions against NATO partner Spain. The NATO states had attempted on Tuesday to demonstrate that they were meeting Trump's demands for higher domestic defense spending by announcing arms deals worth at least 50 billion dollars.

Despite all the tensions, the summit proceeded successfully from the alliance's perspective. The member states' ambassadors have drafted a summit declaration that provides for an "unwavering commitment" to collective defense. The 32 NATO heads of state and government convened on Wednesday for the main session, after having met for a joint dinner on Tuesday evening. The NATO Secretary General's message was: "Here in Ankara, the allies also reaffirmed their ironclad commitment to assistance under Article 5: that an attack on one is an attack on all and that we will stand together."

At the end of the summit, Trump appeared more conciliatory: "There was tremendous love in this room," he said. And: "They like the way I do my job. Adult humans said that, isn't that nice?" Chancellor Merz quoted Trump at his press conference: "In his closing statement, there was a sentence that personally surprised me a little, but also pleased me greatly: 'There is a feeling of love in the air.'" Merz spoke of a closing sentence with which one could nicely conclude such a NATO summit, which had taken place under such difficult – including media – auspices. "He repeatedly expressly praised the 32 NATO allies for their great work and the unity they had demonstrated at the meeting."

Overall, substantial funds flowed at the summit: the European pillar of NATO is growing, with around 140 billion in military aid for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027 to be released. And: it will be even more, more than 150 billion euros. If there were one word to describe the summit, it was "unity," it was said from the circle of participants. Rutte had managed to achieve his goals with an ever-surprising mix of charm, persistence, and submissiveness.