Trump blasts NATO allies, renews Spain and Greenland demands

Donald Trump turned a NATO summit in Ankara into a fresh test of alliance discipline, blasting Spain over defense spending, threatening to cut off U.S. trade with Madrid and again pressing his claim that Greenland should come under U.S. control. The attacks landed as allies were trying to project unity while war in Iran, Arctic security and long-running burden-sharing disputes all crowded the agenda.

The meeting was taking place July 7-8 at the Beştepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, where NATO leaders had gathered to review progress since the 2025 summit in The Hague and set the alliance’s next roadmap. In The Hague, allies agreed to a defense-investment target of 5% of GDP by 2035, with at least 3.5% reserved for core defense requirements and up to 1.5% for broader security-related spending. NATO says European allies and Canada increased defense spending by nearly 20% in real terms in 2025, amounting to more than $139 billion in nominal terms.

Spain has been the main holdout against the 5% target, arguing it can meet NATO capability needs without reaching that level. Trump escalated that dispute by saying he had ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off trade with Spain, a threat that raised the stakes far beyond the alliance’s internal budget fight. The clash underscored how defense spending has become tied not only to military readiness but also to the political leverage Washington is willing to use against a partner government.

Trump also revived a separate dispute with Denmark by saying Greenland should be controlled by the United States rather than Copenhagen. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected the demand and said Denmark would defend Greenland, adding another layer of friction inside an alliance already managing tensions on its northern flank. The Arctic issue sits alongside wider concerns about strategic access, territorial control and the long-term balance of power among NATO members.

NATO officials, including Secretary-General Mark Rutte, had been pressing allies in the run-up to Ankara to spend more and better on the capabilities needed to defend every inch of Allied territory. But Trump’s criticism of European allies for not backing the U.S.-Israel war on Iran cast a shadow over the gathering before leaders could settle into the business of defense production, Ukraine support and the 2035 spending pledge.