Democratic Senator Dick Durbin has publicly credited President Donald Trump with "wisely" pressing NATO members to increase their own defence spending, a notable concession from a senior figure in the opposition party. Speaking to CBS News while in Ankara, Turkey, for the 2026 NATO Summit, Durbin characterised Trump's dealings with the alliance as a "back-and-forth, love-and-hate relationship" but said asking allies to fund more of their own protection was "not an unreasonable ask." The remarks matter because they show a degree of bipartisan agreement on burden-sharing, even as Democrats remain critical of Trump on other fronts.

Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who has served nearly 30 years in the Senate and is the minority whip and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, is part of a congressional delegation led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen. He noted that NATO has 32 members and that he believes the world has been safer with the alliance since 1945. However, he also voiced concern that events during Trump's second presidency had "raised the question of our commitment to the future of NATO." Trump is attending the summit alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, with Ukraine, defence spending and Turkey's F-35 and S-400 issues among the key topics.