Trump’s NATO summit: A cycle of threats and sudden praise

Upon arriving Tuesday, the U.S. president castigated the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy for failing to support American military efforts against Iran. By Wednesday morning, the rhetoric intensified when Trump ordered a total trade cutoff with Spain, citing insufficient defense spending and a lack of cooperation. Yet, within hours, the tone shifted entirely. During a closed-door session, the belligerence vanished, replaced by what Trump described as a meeting filled with love. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte played a pivotal role in the pivot, actively encouraging the president to frame the increased European defense spending as a personal victory.

Despite the temporary detente, the underlying tensions remain unresolved. Trump revived his controversial demand for U.S. control over Greenland and reiterated his frustration with the alliance's limited role in his foreign conflicts. While Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez downplayed the earlier trade threats as a cordial interaction and Trump offered rare praise for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the stability appears fragile. By the time the summit concluded, the president had already signaled that his satisfaction might be fleeting, closing his trip by renewing threats to withdraw additional U.S. troops from the continent.