NATO leaders met in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday to discuss the alliance’s future and address concerns raised by US President Donald Trump. Trump has been critical of NATO, saying that the US is not treated well by the alliance and that European nations are not spending enough on defense.

Trump’s Disputes with NATO

Trump’s comments have sparked tensions within the alliance, with some European leaders expressing frustration with his criticism. The US president has also revived his disputes with NATO over the Iran war and Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.

Earlier in the day, NATO announced a series of arms deals worth at least $50 billion, in an effort to demonstrate that its European members are committed to increasing their defense spending. Trump has been pushing for NATO members to spend more on defense, and has threatened to withdraw US troops from Europe if they do not meet their spending commitments.

Summit Declaration

The 32 NATO leaders met for a dinner on Tuesday evening, and the main session of their summit took place on Wednesday. Ambassadors from all NATO members have approved a summit declaration that affirms an ‘ironclad commitment’ to collective defense. However, the declaration will only be issued after it has been endorsed by the leaders.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.