Trump Says It’s 'Ridiculous' for U.S. to Maintain Current NATO Support as Rift Widens Ahead of Summit

Time ^ | July 3, 2026 | Tiago Ventura

[MinorityRepublican]

President Donald Trump said it is “ridiculous” for the United States to maintain its current level of support for NATO “when the relationship is not reciprocal."

Referring to the alliance as a "one-sided path” late Thursday, Trump doubled down on his long-argued criticism of allied nations’ defense spending ahead of next week’s planned NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

Alongside his Truth Social remarks, Trump posted a chart displaying contributions from NATO members, showing the U.S. vastly outspending its allies.

The President had earlier complained that the U.S. “spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit.”

Seemingly citing figures from NATO’s defence expenditure data in 2025, he compared the “$999 billion” spent by the U.S. to the “$44.3 billion” put forward by Poland. [NATO's 2025 estimate for U.S. spending is $980 billion.] “Others, including Germany, are much lower,” Trump insisted.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday defended his country’s contributions.

"Germany is ​doubling its defense budget within four years. This is the greatest ⁠effort we have ever made to strengthen our defense capabilities. In this respect, ​we have no reason to shy away from anyone," he told reporters.

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TOPICS: European Union; Germany
KEYWORDS: ankara; europeanunion; friedrichmerz; frukspam; germany; leftistsource; mediawingofthednc; multiplefrnicks; nato; poland; randspam; tiagoventura; truthsocial; turkey; ukspamonfr

[cowboyusa]

Wonderful America 250 present.

[nathanbedford]

"Because the idea that America would stand with its NATO allies in a European crisis is already in great doubt, which means the deterrent effect of it has already disappeared."

The isolationists who are about to appear in this thread will smugly approve of Trump's actions without even realizing that his actions have vitiated nuclear deterrence as well as conventional deterrence at a time when Russia is looming ever more belligerent and ever more desperate.

When the inevitable happens, a race of nuclear proliferation in Europe and into the Middle East through Turkey occurs, the same isolationists will disown all of it.

[Mariner]

“Without getting any benefit “

That’s the key right there.

[Veto!]

I love having a successful businessman in charge of the USA.

the NatO dweebs can only add, never subtract.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Here is a hypothetical: What would you do if you were Russia and you were about to be defeated in Ukraine and your country overrun by NATO, Britain and the USA?

After all Russia is losing a thousand men a day and Ukraine is only using one.

[nathanbedford]

There is nothing anywhere in the history of the Cold War from 1945, or in the recent history of the war in Ukraine and its run-up, that would lead any rational Russian to believe that NATO was about to invade Russia.

[Bobbyvotes]

Neocon’s will appear in hordes before the isolationists.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

There is nothing anywhere in the history of the Cold War from 1945, or in the recent history of the war in Ukraine and its run-up, that would lead any rational Russian to believe that NATO was about to invade Russia.

So all those drone attacks on Moscow were a figment of my imagination?

[mewzilla]

Europe can’t be too worried since they’ve been buying Russian energy all along.

[ansel12]

“””””What would you do if you were Russia and you were about to be defeated in Ukraine and your country overrun by NATO, Britain and the USA?”””””

What are you talking about, you think Russia is going to be invaded by us if they don’t keep this invasion going?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I’m not talking to you.

[ansel12]

NATO is droning Moscow?

This is like when you were talking about the Maui fires and 20 foot combat robots guarding Zuckerberg’s estate in Hawaii.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You still refuse to admit it’s a proxy war?

How long would the war have lasted without the funding and weapons of the USA/NATO/Britain/Etc?

[nathanbedford]

Those drone attacks are directed at military targets, contrary to Russia's missile and drone attacks directed directly at civilians as late as last night.

Of course, Ukraine not only has the right but it is to be fully expected that Ukraine will strike at Russia within the legal bounds of warfare. That hardly justifies a belief that Ukraine is about to invade. Ukraine is acting defensively. Its choice of targets are all justifiable and defensible as military targets.

While it is waging war according to the rules of war, contrary to Russia, Ukraine has been calling for peace talks, contrary to Russia.

Again, there is no reason for a rational Russian to expect invasion beyond tactical incursions.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Ukraine good, Russia bad.

You’re not worth bothering with. Go ahead and talk to yourself having the last word.

[ansel12]

Trump is fighting a proxy war against combined Russia and North Korea forces in this European invasion?

Hasn’t it been a proxy war of Iran and Red China, and North Korea before Kim Jong Un sent in troops?

What is wrong with us opposing the bad guys by supporting their victim nation being invaded?

[nathanbedford]

If you can attack the argument, attack the man.

[ansel12]

“”””How long would the war have lasted without the funding and weapons of the USA/NATO””””

Yes, without opposition Russia’s invasions would be easier for them, we don’t want that, Russia is an enemy of the United States and them gaining valuable populations and geography by conquest in empire building, is reassembling the evil empire and increasing their threat to America and the world.

[Dr. Sivana]

By subsidizing Europe’s defense, we are freeing up their money for LGBQ crap and Euthanasia and insane, centralized policy up and down. We may no longer have enough in common. If we are doing it just to keep them from developing/using nukes, then we ARE the world’s policeman, and not NATO after all.