US President Donald Trump criticised several European allies during a White House appearance alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, arguing that some countries had failed to demonstrate sufficient support for the United States during its conflict with Iran despite its longstanding military presence across Europe.
Trump said he was “disappointed” with Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain, describing Spain as “a horror show” and adding, “I just want their loyalty. We don’t need their money… I just want loyalty.” He also pointed to the deployment of US troops across Europe, including Germany and the UK, as evidence of Washington’s commitment.
Rutte acknowledged “there is reason for disappointment” but argued that “these are isolated cases” and described the situation as “a mixed bag.” He said European allies had fulfilled bilateral commitments with the United States and argued that access to European bases had enabled thousands of US aircraft movements, adding it “would have been very difficult to do Iran without having Europe as a power production platform for the United States.”
The remarks come ahead of the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, where alliance unity, defence spending and the future of the US military presence in Europe are expected to dominate discussions. The meeting also follows a Pentagon review of US force deployments in Europe and renewed debate over burden-sharing after recent tensions linked to the Iran conflict.
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