NATO Summit in Ankara: Trump Threatens Troop Withdrawals, Lifts Turkey Sanctions, and Renews Greenland Demand Amid NATO Defense Pacts

The NATO summit in Ankara begins on Tuesday at President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s palace complex, with leaders gathering to discuss pressing security challenges, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, defense spending commitments, and the potential reduction of U.S. troops in Europe. The two-day meeting, hosted by Erdoğan, has drawn particular attention due to the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrives in Ankara in a grim mood due to low approval ratings and a dispute over European support for U.S. actions in Iran (Ilta-Sanomat). Upon his arrival, Trump stated that he might not have attended the summit if it were not for his friend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and criticized NATO allies for not supporting the U.S. in its conflict with Iran. "We were not treated well because we did something in Iran. We don’t need anyone’s help. I didn’t even want their help. But before I asked for help, they said they wouldn’t give it," Trump said, referring to the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Germany (Ilta-Sanomat). Despite tensions, European summit sources indicate no major issues have emerged in preparations, and Trump is not expected to threaten NATO withdrawal (Ilta-Sanomat). Yle reports that relations between Europe and the United States have weakened over the past year, with Trump seeking to acquire Greenland, expressing disappointment with European allies in the Iran conflict, and reducing promised crisis-time support to Europe.