Trump criticizes Spain and revives Greenland claim at NATO summit in Ankara, then praises alliance unity

Jul 8, 2026

At the NATO summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump lashed out at Spain as a "terrible partner" and ordered trade cuts over its refusal to back US operations against Iran. Trump also revived his controversial demand for the US to acquire Greenland from Denmark. Despite his public bluster, Trump left the summit on a positive note, praising alliance unity and offering fresh military support to Ukraine after being placated with lavish flattery by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other leaders.

Trump remarks at NATO summit

▪Spain previously closed its airspace to US military planes and barred the US from using joint military bases at Morón and Rota for missions against Iran in March 2026.
▪US President Donald Trump criticized Spain at the NATO summit in Ankara, calling the country a "wasted cause" and a "terrible partner in NATO."
▪US President Donald Trump instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade relations with Spain.
▪Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that relations with the US were "very positive" and that his informal conversation with Donald Trump was friendly and without tension.

NATO allies' flattery strategy

▪NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other European leaders used lavish praise and flattery to manage Donald Trump's grievances and minimize damage during the summit.
▪Donald Trump acknowledged that NATO leaders may have been trying to butter him up, stating, "Maybe they were trying to get to me. And, in a way, they did."

Iran threat to Trump

▪Donald Trump flew out of Turkey aboard an older model of Air Force One instead of his new Qatari-donated plane, prompting questions about whether a security threat caused the change.
▪Donald Trump repeatedly mentioned that he is the "number one" target for assassination by Iran, noting that chants for his death broke out at funeral ceremonies for the slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Turkey F-35 fighter jet program

▪Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly petitioned four successive American administrations to allow Turkey back into the F-35 program.
▪Donald Trump gave heavy signals at the summit that he plans to allow Turkey back into the F-35 fighter jet purchase program.

Ukraine Patriot missile manufacturing

▪Donald Trump indicated during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he is preparing to allow Kyiv to manufacture its own Patriot missile interceptors.
▪Donald Trump offered fresh support for Ukraine in its war with Russia during the NATO summit in Ankara.

Greenland claim revival

▪Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen restated that Greenland is "not for sale" and asserted that Denmark is ready to defend every inch of its territory.
▪Donald Trump revived his claim that the United States should control Greenland, calling NATO's resistance to his plan "a big problem for us."