At a Nato summit in Ankara hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, US President Donald Trump dominated proceedings and disrupted the alliance's projected unity even as members focused on the urgent task of rearming Europe. Given a ceremonial welcome by Erdogan, Trump reiterated his well-known scepticism towards Nato and made provocative remarks, including repeating a suggestion that the US should take over Greenland, part of fellow member Denmark. His interventions overshadowed the summit's central purpose at a moment widely seen as critical for European security.

Trump also criticised allies, including the UK, for not joining his earlier military action against Iran, despite Sir Keir Starmer permitting airstrikes on Iranian missile sites from British airbases. Beyond the friction, delegates advanced concrete plans: contracts for a new Airbus transport aircraft fleet, replacement of ageing AWACS planes with Sweden's GlobeEye, and joint missile projects. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to rapidly build affordable, mass-produced anti-ballistic defences, citing deadly Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and a shortage of interceptors, amid fears Russia could threaten Nato territory within four years of any ceasefire.