NATO Chief Rutte Makes Emergency Washington Trip as Trump-Allies Rift Deepens Before Ankara Summit

An alliance on edge before Ankara

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte traveled to Washington on June 23 for urgent talks with President Trump, aiming to repair transatlantic relations fractured by European reluctance to back the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.euronews The visit comes just two weeks before the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, where allies must reaffirm a commitment to spending 5 percent of GDP on defense — and where Trump's anger at several European capitals risks derailing alliance unity.euronews +1

Meloni feud lays bare intra-NATO fractures

The sharpest public rupture has been with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, once one of Trump's closest European allies. In a series of social media posts, Trump claimed Meloni had "begged" for a photo with him at the recent G7 summit in France and accused her of "turning down the United States" by refusing to allow US bombers to use a Sicilian base without parliamentary approval.pbs Meloni fired back, calling Trump's "constant, unprovoked attacks senseless," and Italy's foreign minister canceled a planned trip to Washington in protest.pbs

The Italy rift is part of a broader pattern. Germany's Ramstein Air Base provided full access for US drone and missile strikes on Iran, but Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly criticized Washington's handling of the conflict, prompting Trump to reduce the US military presence in Germany.euronews Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One in March: "Whether we get support or not, I can say this: We will remember."euronews

Hegseth announces troop review, warns allies will 'fail'

At a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on June 18, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a review — lasting up to six months — of US force posture and basing across Europe.time He warned bluntly: "It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors."time Hegseth called the European refusal to grant US access to alliance bases during the Iran war "shameful," arguing it had put American forces "at risk."time The Pentagon has already withdrawn 5,000 troops from Germany, reduced Brigade Combat Teams in Europe from four to three, and signaled it would scale back long-range bombers available to NATO missions.euronews +1

A summit under pressure to prove NATO's cohesion

Rutte has acknowledged deep frustration with allies lagging on defense spending. Six NATO members — Spain, the UK, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Italy — remain especially exposed heading into Ankara, with spending plans that fall short of or raise accounting questions about the new 5 percent benchmark.politico Rutte said ahead of the ministerial: "I expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach that goal."politico A US-Iran ceasefire has reduced the risk of the summit turning into an open showdown, but NATO officials caution that structural tensions over burden-sharing are far from resolved.euronews