After criticizing allies, Trump says there was 'a lot of unity' at NATO summit

Amid uncertainty about ceasefire with Iran, Trump talks to Zelensky United States President Donald Trump caused turmoil at a summit of NATO leaders this Wednesday (8) by demanding that his government cut trade relations with Spain and reiterating his claims about annexing Greenland, but later changed his tone and stated that there was love and “a lot of unity” in the military alliance. ? Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp In a press conference at the end of the summit, Trump stated that the meeting was "a tremendous success", and that the US was once again respected by NATO thanks to its insistence on getting allies to increase the defense spending ceiling. "If you could see the respect and affection in the room — and it's love for our country, because they like the work I'm doing. (...) There was enormous unity in that room, and I urge all nations to accelerate their plans to achieve that goal as quickly as possible. (...) So the unity in that room was incredible, there was a lot of love there. (...) If there's one word I take away from today, it's unity," Trump said about the atmosphere of the closed-door meeting. The statements contrasted with his speeches when he arrived at the NATO summit on Wednesday morning, when he said he was "very angry" with his allies. Read below how Trump's speech transformed. Trump 'gives water to wine' at NATO summit Trump speaks at NATO summit Reuters/Umit Bektas Trump arrived at the summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara, calling Madrid a “terrible partner” in NATO as he criticized allies for not supporting the war against Iran and ordered US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to suspend all trade with Spain. He also announced the end of a fragile peace agreement with Iran and said he no longer wanted to talk to the Iranian regime. Furthermore, the American president once again pressed to annex Greenland to the USA, stating that the island "is a big problem" for his country, and that it "is not important for Denmark". Trump's statements shook up the summit, where European leaders hoped to overcome a series of disagreements that threatened to disintegrate the military alliance. The inflammatory speeches came alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has been keen to allay Trump's concerns about defense spending, Iran and Greenland, while also effusively praising the US president for bringing these issues to the fore.

But emerging from a closed-door meeting with NATO leaders, Trump later said: “There was a lot of love in that room, a lot of unity.” He also spoke more warmly about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when meeting with him, in sharp contrast to the harsh reprimand delivered in a meeting last year, and stated that he would grant Kiev a license to manufacture Patriot missiles. A source familiar with the NATO negotiations said Trump did not repeat his criticisms behind closed doors and instead demonstrated a willingness to keep the US in NATO, saying, “we want to stay with you.” French President Emmanuel Macron also said he had not heard any complaints from Trump, while Rutte declared there was a great sense of unity. On paper at least, the summit also ended with a message of solidarity, with NATO allies, including Trump, affirming their “unwavering commitment” to collective defense under Article 5 of the alliance pact in a summit statement. European allies and Canada have said they are taking on greater responsibility for the alliance's defense, while NATO members have also committed to providing 70 billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine by 2026. Trump's previous public statements had undermined the carefully crafted message before the summit that European NATO countries had assumed their responsibilities for military spending, resulting in Tuesday's unveiling of at least $50 billion in defense initiatives. Trump says ceasefire with Iran is 'over'

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