President Donald Trump challenged NATO's united front on Wednesday at an alliance summit in Ankara, Turkey, criticizing multiple allies for insufficient defense spending and highlighting deep internal divisions.
The criticism comes as member states try to present a unified stance against long-term security threats.
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Tensions rose over a newly established benchmark requiring member nations to allocate 5% of their gross domestic product to defense by 2035.
Trump targeted individual nations for failing to meet financial targets and refusing to back recent U. S.
military operations in Iran, singling out Spain during a joint press appearance with the alliance's leadership.
"Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate.
They don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain.
Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits," said Trump.
The American leader also expressed dissatisfaction with other major European powers and revived his previous geopolitical goals regarding Arctic territories, which have remained a point of friction despite new alliance monitoring initiatives.
"We don't need their money, we don't need anything.
We have the most powerful military in the world by far, but I just want loyalty," said Trump.
Trump asserted that the United States had been abandoned by its traditional security partners during the recent conflict, rejecting assertions that European bases provided critical logistical support for thousands of American aerial missions.
"They weren't," said Trump.
The U. S.
