Trump Slams NATO as 'Ridiculous,' Demands Fairer Burden-Sharing

Former U.S. President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on NATO just days before the alliance's summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7-8. Trump described the relationship between the United States and NATO as "ridiculous," arguing that member nations do not provide adequate support to Washington.

"They are not there for us," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Thursday. He highlighted the significant financial contribution the U.S. makes to NATO's defense budget compared to other member states, sharing a graphic that illustrated this disparity.

This is not the first time Trump has criticized the burden-sharing within NATO. For years, he has urged European countries to increase their defense spending and take greater responsibility for regional security. He has previously threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO if allies did not boost their contributions.

The Trump administration was also reviewing the U.S. military presence in Europe, with a partial withdrawal being considered as part of a defense strategy evaluation. Despite these criticisms, NATO leaders previously agreed to a new target of increasing defense spending to five percent of each country's GDP by 2035 under Trump's pressure.

The upcoming summit in Ankara is expected to address strengthening collective defense, burden-sharing among members, and the alliance's security policy direction amid rising global geopolitical tensions.

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They are not there for us