President Donald Trump offered both sticks and carrots to NATO, threatening to cut off trade with Spain before offering rare praise for the alliance.
At the summit on Wednesday, Trump reignited his feud with Madrid over the Iran war, made renewed claims on Greenland, and rehashed his grievances with NATO.
Hours later, he touted the “love” and “tremendous unity” among NATO leaders, assuring them in a closed-door meeting — Politico reported — that “we want to remain with you.”
While Trump’s saber-rattling unnerved NATO allies who strove to placate him with deals and flattery‚ his shift in tone — including signaling more support for Ukraine — “will be hailed as a victory for the alliance whose stability [has] been called into question,” The Guardian wrote.