Ukraine, Iran shadow high-stakes NATO summit as Trump leans on allies, embraces Erdogan
by Tom Howell Jr. · The Washington TimesThe NATO summit in Turkey this week affords President Trump a rare in-person opportunity to lean on European allies lagging behind on defense spending, as well as a chance to showcase his administration’s embrace of this year’s host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ukraine and Syria are also on the agenda, and Mr. Trump is expected to hold a high-profile news conference during his two days in Ankara.
Mr. Trump is set to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday, the day the NATO summit begins, to meet with Mr. Erdogan. On Wednesday, he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa before his scheduled news conference and departure.
Mr. Trump spoke by phone Saturday with Mr. Zelenskyy and with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr. Zelenskyy said in a statement on X that he and Mr. Trump discussed the latest developments in the war and that there was “a real prospect of ending this war.”
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Mr. Trump reaffirmed to Mr. Putin his “readiness to help achieve a quick cessation of hostilities.”
The Associated Press reported Sunday that a senior U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Mr. Trump will speak with Mr. Zelenskyy about finding a quick way to end the conflict. Mr. Trump is expected to follow up with Mr. Putin after his meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy in Ankara, the official said.
Mr. Trump has a history of criticizing NATO partners, and that is not likely to change in Ankara.
European leaders have questioned Mr. Trump’s commitment to the alliance. They felt blindsided by the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran, while Mr. Trump chafed at Europe’s reluctance to provide air bases and other assistance in the U.S.-Israeli war to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
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The president said he strengthened NATO by prodding each member to increase defense and related spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035.
Mr. Trump is “going to consider this summit as a report card on the other members of the alliance on their progress, or lack thereof, when it comes to boosting defense spending,” said Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. “He’s going to want to see progress being made on this.”
Mr. Trump made it clear that per-country spending is top of mind for him. He pointed to U.S. defense spending that nears $1 trillion per year and claimed that allies spend far less, though combined European and Canadian defense spending exceeded $500 billion in 2025.
“The United States spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit from so doing,” the president said Thursday on social media.
Mr. Coffey said that although defense spending might be the main topic publicly, “Ukraine will probably be the biggest topic privately.”
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“The best way to help end the war and secure a just and lasting peace is to ensure that Ukraine can participate in any negotiations from a position of strength, and NATO Allies are stepping up to ensure that Ukraine has the support it needs,” said a summit overview on the NATO website.
Ukraine is not a member of the alliance, but NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed that Mr. Zelenskyy will attend, continuing his run of appearances at high-profile summits throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year.
On Iran, Mr. Rutte has been quick to praise Mr. Trump for his efforts to degrade Iran’s nuclear capability. He said NATO, generally, might have a role in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“If NATO can be helpful somehow, we will be helpful. But, hey, if it can be done in other ways, that’s fine, as long as we make sure that we restore the freedom of navigation,” Mr. Rutte said at a recent Atlantic Council event.
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In Mr. Trump’s view, the U.S. military is so powerful that it does not need outside assistance in defeating the Iranian regime and preventing it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Still, NATO’s reluctance clearly frustrated him.
“It would have been nice if they said, ’We’d like to help,’” Mr. Trump said.
With Iran peace talks underway, the host nation, Turkey, will be seen as a key conduit between NATO and the Middle East.
Mr. Trump recently said he asked Mr. Erdogan to stay out of the Iran conflict “because he’s not a big fan of Israel, as you know.”
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“I asked him to stay out. He stayed out,” Mr. Trump said. “Erdogan’s a great leader, very strong person.”
The U.S. president made it clear he is eager to solidify ties with Mr. Erdogan, whom he views as an ally and major player in global affairs.
“I’m going [to the summit] out of respect for President Erdogan,” Mr. Trump said.
Opinions about Mr. Erdogan are sharply divided. Some accuse him of eroding democratic rule in Turkey.
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Still, Mr. Erdogan is an experienced and savvy statesman who has loomed over Turkey’s politics for decades.
“He will ensure that the summit goes well,” Mr. Coffey said.
U.S. officials did not provide any details about the goals for Mr. Trump’s meeting with Mr. al-Sharaa.
Yet as Mr. Trump has grown frustrated with Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has complicated negotiations in the Iran war, he has repeatedly stunned many in the region by suggesting that Syria instead fight Hezbollah.
As the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — the Islamist rebel group with roots in al Qaeda that ultimately ousted Bashar Assad — Mr. al-Sharaa has said he has no interest in engaging Hezbollah. He suggested that Mr. Trump’s comments were misconstrued, even though Mr. Trump has repeated them.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
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Tom Howell Jr.
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