Trump heads to NATO summit in Ankara amid strained relations and Ukraine funding concerns

President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Ankara on Tuesday for a NATO summit that begins amid several overlapping disputes affecting the alliance’s cohesion, according to a briefing published by The Hill. The report described the gathering as a test of whether European partners are willing and able to shoulder greater responsibilities as Washington’s approach to the Ukraine war and other NATO priorities has evolved.

On the central security file, the war in Ukraine remains unresolved, and the briefing said there is “no end in sight” to the conflict. It also characterized Washington as less willing to back either Ukraine or the alliance as emphatically as in previous years, arguing that this shift has increased the practical burden on European countries.

The report tied that burden to the possibility that European governments may face domestic constraints on continued support, suggesting that even where leaders agree on the need for collective defense, they may not be able to fully replace gaps left by reduced U.S. backing. The briefing framed the summit as an opportunity for coordination, but noted there is no guarantee that partners will or can carry additional responsibilities without renewed agreements.

Separate from Ukraine, the briefing said Trump remains irked with some NATO allies over their role in a war on Iran he launched “in conjunction with Israel.” The report added that other nations counter that it was not their war to begin with and that they were not consulted in advance, while arguing they were not obligated to help resolve the geopolitical dilemma that emerged after the joint action.

The summit is also expected to be influenced by interpersonal tensions, the briefing said, including conflict with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is described as typically more receptive to Trump than other European leaders. The report said Meloni had a spat with Trump last month over whether she had “begged” him for a photograph together at a Group of Seven meeting, as Trump claimed.

On the relationship with the United Kingdom, the briefing said Trump’s interactions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently took another downward turn after Trump preempted an announcement that Starmer would be stepping down. The report also characterized Trump’s discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron as “chilly,” citing remarks Trump made earlier this year about how Macron is treated by his wife.

The Hill report said Trump is scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday afternoon Ankara time, at the conclusion of the summit, where questions are expected to focus on the issues driving frictions among NATO members. It also indicated that the summit’s “drama” risk is elevated by Trump’s usual style of conducting high-profile meetings alongside disputes that can spill into public exchanges.

The practical outcome of the Ankara talks, as described in the report, hinges on whether NATO governments can align on how to fund and sustain security commitments, manage disagreements over the alliance’s role in conflicts tied to U.S.-Israeli actions, and contain personal conflicts that could affect negotiations. It said those questions will likely be reflected in the summit’s messaging and in the tone of leaders’ public remarks following the meetings.