ANKARA — President Trump arrived in Ankara Tuesday for a NATO summit with a clear message for allied leaders: prove your loyalty in action, not words. The president remains openly furious at allies who refused to open air bases for U.S. strikes against Iran or provide naval assets to secure the Strait of Hormuz, hardening his long-standing view that the alliance is a one-way street at American taxpayer expense.

Pentagon Drawdown Signals Real Consequences

The president's contempt is not merely rhetorical. The Pentagon has already cut U.S. Army brigade combat teams in Europe from four to three, canceling the deployment of roughly 4,000 troops to Poland. Supporting airframes, tankers, and naval assets available to NATO have also been reduced. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month launched a six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe, calling allied refusal to grant base access "shameful" and suggesting further adjustments could follow. A second official noted a full NATO drawdown is not formally on the summit agenda, but acknowledged: "The president isn't happy with the Europeans. It's the same old story."

No Churchill in London

Trump broke the news of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation before publicly dismissing him as weak, remarking that Starmer's hesitation on Iran showed he was "no Winston Churchill." Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was subjected to ridicule after Trump posted a meme of her with the caption "Restraining order needed." Even NATO chief Mark Rutte's attempt to flatter the president with a gold-lettered defense spending chart fell flat. "We don't need their money — we don't need anything," Trump said. "I just want loyalty."

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker confirmed Trump will press allies to meet a 5% GDP defense spending target, accelerating the long-stated American goal of shifting the conventional defense burden of Europe back onto European nations and Canada. Administration officials also reiterated Trump's intent to acquire Greenland from Denmark, framing it as a NATO defense imperative to check Russian activity in the Arctic Ocean.

"We don't need their money — we don't need anything. I just want loyalty."

Erdoğan Meeting and Israeli Objections

The president's Ankara visit opens with a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who remains on favorable terms with Trump. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has privately requested the U.S. refrain from selling advanced weapons to Turkey, citing Erdoğan's escalating anti-Israel posture. Trump will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa before departing Wednesday evening.