Neither side is making much progress in a war that refuses to end
At a NATO summit in Turkey, Donald Trump meets allied leaders and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at a moment when the alliance's shared purpose is being tested by competing wars, unmet promises, and a deepening argument over who bears the cost of collective security. The U.S.-led war against Iran, launched without allied consultation, has closed the Strait of Hormuz and sent an energy shock through Europe, sharpening resentments on both sides of the Atlantic. Trump demands immediate military spending at five percent of GDP while allies demand a voice in decisions that reshape their economies and their continent. What unfolds in Ankara is less a summit than a reckoning — with burden-sharing, with broken pledges, and with the question of whether a fractured alliance can still act as one.
- Trump arrives in Turkey carrying unresolved anger at NATO allies who refused base access for Iran strikes and have yet to meet his escalating defense spending demands.
- The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a direct consequence of a war allies were never consulted on — has triggered an energy crisis that is quietly fracturing alliance solidarity.
- Zelenskyy enters the summit in a weakened position, his country still locked in a grinding war that Trump once promised to end in a single day and has since largely set aside.
- European leaders are pressing for renewed Ukraine peace diplomacy, but the White House has been consumed by Iran, leaving those channels cold and the continent's security in limbo.
- The alliance is navigating toward confrontation rather than consensus, with the summit serving as the first open arena for tensions that have been building since February.
Donald Trump travels to Turkey this week for a NATO summit arriving at one of the alliance's most fractured moments. He meets first with Turkish President Erdogan, then faces the full alliance on Wednesday — a gathering already shadowed by disputes over spending, strategy, and the wars the United States has chosen to fight.
The most anticipated moment is Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Their relationship has been strained since Trump campaigned on ending Russia's war within a day of taking office — a promise he has not kept. A U.S. official acknowledged Sunday that neither side is making meaningful military progress, even as Ukraine carries out increasingly bold long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory. Trump intends to press Zelenskyy toward negotiations, though the White House has been consumed for months by a different war entirely.
That war is Iran. On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran without consulting allies, closing the Strait of Hormuz and triggering an energy crisis that has rippled across Europe. Allied governments, left to absorb the economic damage without a seat at the table, have pushed back. Trump has responded with anger — publicly criticizing members who refused base access for the Iran strikes and escalating his demands, insisting allies reach five percent of GDP in defense spending not gradually, but immediately.
European leaders are countering by calling for renewed diplomatic efforts on Ukraine, hoping to stabilize the continent and reclaim some strategic footing. But with Washington preoccupied by Iran, those channels have gone quiet. Trump did speak with Putin on Saturday, suggesting some maneuvering continues behind the scenes.
What the summit reveals is an alliance under genuine strain — allies feeling sidelined and economically burdened, Washington feeling financially abandoned. Zelenskyy stands at the center of it all, leading a country still at war, waiting to learn whether the president who promised to end it has already moved on.
Donald Trump is heading to Turkey this week for a NATO summit that will test the alliance at one of its most fractured moments. He arrives Tuesday to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then convenes with the full defense alliance Wednesday—a gathering that will be shadowed by disagreement over spending, strategy, and the wars Trump has chosen to fight.
The centerpiece of the summit is a long-awaited meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Their relationship has been uneven at best. Trump campaigned on a promise to end Russia's war in Ukraine within a day of taking office. He has not delivered on that pledge, and the frustration shows. A U.S. official acknowledged Sunday that neither Russia nor Ukraine is making meaningful military progress, despite Ukraine's increasingly bold strikes deep inside Russian territory using long-range drones and missiles. Trump intends to press Zelenskyy on finding a path to negotiations, though the White House has been consumed for months by a different conflict entirely.
That conflict is Iran. On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran that has upended global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz—one of the world's critical chokepoints for oil and gas—has been closed, strangling shipments and triggering an energy crisis across Europe and beyond. The problem, from the perspective of America's allies, is that they were not consulted before the strikes began. They were left to absorb the economic shock without a seat at the table.
Trump has responded to their complaints with anger. He has publicly criticized NATO members who refused to allow the U.S. to use their military bases for early strikes on Iran. He has berated them for failing to help reopen the strait. And he has escalated his demands on defense spending, insisting that allies commit not just to a path toward five percent of GDP in military expenditure, but reach that threshold immediately. Matt Whitaker, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, told reporters that Trump expects allies to "step up immediately" and move to five percent "as soon as possible," calling the increase "really crucial."
European leaders, meanwhile, are pushing back in their own way. They have called for renewed U.S. and European efforts to broker peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. They see the stalled negotiations as a way to stabilize the continent and redirect resources toward their own security needs. But the White House has been preoccupied with Iran, leaving those diplomatic channels dormant. Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin on Saturday about Ukraine and the upcoming summit, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, suggesting at least some behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
What emerges from this picture is an alliance under real strain. The U.S. relationship with NATO has rarely been warm during Trump's tenure, but it has deteriorated sharply since the Iran war began. Allies feel sidelined and economically burdened. Trump feels they are not pulling their weight militarily or financially. The summit in Turkey will be the moment these tensions come into the open, with Zelenskyy caught in the middle—a leader whose country is still fighting a grinding war, waiting to see whether the American president who promised to end it will instead pivot toward other priorities.
Citações Notáveis
President Trump expects all allies to step up immediately and not only get on a sustainable path to the 5 percent, but get to five percent as soon as possible— Matt Whitaker, U.S. Ambassador to NATO
A U.S. official said the administration viewed the Ukraine conflict as one in which neither side was making much progress— Anonymous U.S. official
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Trump want to meet Zelenskyy at this particular moment, when tensions with NATO are already so high?
Because he made a campaign promise he hasn't kept, and he's frustrated by it. A summit is a stage where he can show movement, even if it's just conversation. But it's also a moment where Zelenskyy might push back on the idea that Ukraine should settle quickly.
And the Iran war—how much of this NATO friction is actually about that?
Most of it. The U.S. launched strikes without consulting allies, closed off a major shipping route, and created an energy crisis in Europe. Then Trump got angry at them for not helping clean up the mess. It's created a rift that defense spending demands alone won't fix.
What do European leaders actually want from this summit?
They want Trump to engage seriously on Ukraine peace talks instead of leaving them stalled. They also want to be heard on Iran policy before the next crisis hits. But they're also being told to spend more money on defense, which feels like punishment for not supporting a war they didn't choose.
Is there any chance this summit produces real agreement?
Unlikely on the big issues. Trump will probably get some allies to commit to higher spending targets, and there might be diplomatic language about Ukraine. But the fundamental problem—that the U.S. and Europe have different priorities and the U.S. acted unilaterally on Iran—that doesn't get solved in a day.
What happens if NATO fractures further?
Europe starts building its own defense capacity independent of the U.S., which ironically might be what Trump wants. But it also means the alliance becomes less cohesive when facing Russia or other threats. That's a long-term risk nobody really wants to take.