Donald Trump has announced that the ceasefire with Iran has ended upon his arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara, delivering a harsh critique of the military alliance while reiterating his interest in acquiring Greenland.
During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump referred to Iranian leadership as “scum” and “sick people,” expressing his dissatisfaction with NATO and even suggesting he might sever trade relations with Spain due to defense spending disagreements.
In a recent escalation, the United States conducted airstrikes on over 80 Iranian positions near the Strait of Hormuz and withdrew a temporary sanctions exemption for Tehran, which had allowed oil exports, following Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels on Tuesday.
When questioned about the status of the ceasefire while meeting Rutte in Turkey, Trump stated, “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people, led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people. If they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.” However, he noted that U.S. negotiators remained interested in continuing discussions.
European leaders were apprehensive about Trump’s mood following a NATO dinner on Tuesday night and were preparing for a challenging summit as tensions in the Middle East escalated. This concern was validated when Trump, alongside Rutte, launched into a series of grievances, starting with Iran.
Trump expressed deep frustration with NATO, lamenting that member countries were not cooperating to address what he called the “number one state sponsor of terror,” referring specifically to Iran. This criticism highlighted a reluctance from European nations, other than the UK, to permit the U.S. to launch bombing missions from their airbases.
He specifically criticized the UK for initially denying the use of RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for bombing operations against Iran, a position that shifted after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed limited strikes on Iranian missile sites.
“The United Kingdom wouldn’t let us use the island for two weeks, so we had to fly back,” Trump remarked, reiterating previous complaints regarding Starmer and the UK’s stance as the conflict with Iran persisted without the regime’s downfall.
In a lengthy 15-minute session alongside Rutte, Trump continued his list of grievances, stating, “Greenland is a big problem for us,” as he reiterated his claim on the strategically significant Arctic territory, which he claimed is more important to the U.S. than to Denmark.
In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, upon her arrival, asserted that Denmark would protect “every inch” of its territory, emphasizing that Greenland is “of course not for sale.”
Trump also revisited his concerns about NATO defense spending, despite an agreement reached last year among members, excluding Spain, to increase national defense budgets to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, aligning European and Canadian spending with that of the U.S.
“I’m very upset with NATO, that we pay far, far too much,” he said, citing “billions and billions of dollars, too much,” due to what he perceives as an unfair burden where the U.S. shoulders most of the protective responsibilities.
His discontent with Spain was particularly pronounced due to its resistance to the 3.5% spending goal. “Spain doesn’t agree to anything, and you shouldn’t carry them,” he told Rutte. “I don’t want to do any trade with them, alright?” Trump directed this comment to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who responded affirmatively.
Initially, Rutte seemed to have diffused Trump’s anger through flattery and timely interruptions, but the president reignited his frustrations when asked about the status of the ceasefire with Iran.
Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, mentioned that there had only been a few “isolated cases” of European NATO allies restricting U.S. air force flights related to the Iran conflict and noted that he had previously struck a deal with Trump at the Davos summit for NATO jets to patrol Arctic airspace.
Rutte complimented Trump, stating he had successfully convinced allies to increase defense spending to match U.S. levels by 2035, a goal that had eluded previous U.S. presidents. “You did what [President Dwight] Eisenhower tried to do,” he remarked, to which Trump interjected, “That’s why I like him,” before the Iran question resurfaced.
Sources from the Spanish government indicated they were unfazed by Trump’s latest criticisms, stating, “Our country maintains an excellent social, cultural, and economic relationship with the U.S., and we have no intention of changing that.”
In an effort to mitigate potential disruptions at the Ankara summit, NATO leaders worked diligently to prepare a draft communiqué in advance, which is expected to reaffirm the alliance’s commitment to mutual defense when approved by the leaders.
However, a report from Bloomberg suggested that NATO might not convene for a summit in 2027, aiming to prevent a recurrence of the tensions that have characterized this year’s gathering, which was intended to highlight over $50 billion in joint arms procurements aimed at demonstrating NATO’s commitment to enhancing defense capabilities in response to Russian aggression.
Additional reporting by Sam Jones in Madrid.
