02.07.2026 16:10
US President Trump, ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara, highlighted the imbalance in defense spending among allies, stating that the US spends significantly more. Trump noted that the US spends $999 billion and listed the five countries that follow behind.
Before the critical 36th NATO Summit, hosted by Turkey in the capital Ankara on July 7-8, US President Donald Trump made harsh criticisms of the defense budgets of alliance members. Sharing an expenditure table on his social media account, Trump argued that despite the US making massive expenditures, it receives no benefit in return.
HE DREW ATTENTION TO THE IMBALANCE AMONG COUNTRIES
Using the words "The US spends far more on NATO than all other countries combined to protect them without receiving any benefit in return," Trump shared estimated defense budget data covering 2014-2025. According to the list published by Trump, the US ranks first by a large margin with a $999 billion bill, followed by four countries with their data listed as follows:
- United Kingdom: $90.5 Billion
- France: $66.5 Billion
- Italy: $48.8 Billion
- Poland: $44.3 Billion
In his message, Trump deemed the allies' contributions insufficient and emphasized that other European countries, including Germany, lag far behind the US.
DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC IN THE CAPITAL ANKARA
The 36th NATO Summit, which will begin under the shadow of Trump's budget outburst, will witness unprecedented diplomatic traffic in Ankara. A large protocol including 32 allied heads of state and government, nearly a hundred ministers, senior diplomats, representatives of international organizations, and thousands of foreign guests will attend the summit.
Official side events, shaped around the main meetings and spread over weeks, continue unabated. The process, which started with the NATO Parliamentary Summit held at Istanbul Dolmabahçe Palace on June 28-29, will culminate with the following events in the coming days:
July 6: An informal invitation in honor of the permanent representatives and ambassadors of the allies attending the summit, along with the SAM-Chatham House Workshop.
July 6-7: The "NATO Summit Dialogues" panel series, where global security policies will be discussed.
July 7-8: The "Allies in Ankara" event and the Transatlantic Political Planners Roundtable Meeting, organized in partnership with the Directorate of Communications, SETA, and the Munich Security Conference (MSC).