Ankara, 7 July 2026 (dpa/MIA) - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated that he "was very disappointed" with NATO allies over their lack of support for the war in Iran as he arrived in Ankara for the defence alliance's annual summit.

Addressing the press alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after arriving at the summit venue, the US leader was asked whether he was satisfied with the progress made by European allies to increase their defence spending - a long-running demand by Trump.

"I was very disappointed with NATO, and frankly, if [the summit] weren't held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it's possible that I wouldn't have attended," Trump replied, referring to Erdoğan.

Trump added that the US hadn't been "treated well, because we did something in Iran," repeating his complaint that Washington's allies did not provide support in the war in the Middle East launched alongside Israel.

While stressing, as he has repeatedly done before, that "we don't need anybody else," Trump questioned why the US had "invested trillions of dollars in NATO" to protect Europe from Russia while receiving nothing in return.

"In a way, I was testing people, I was testing to see whether or not they'd be there because I've long said that we help them, but I'm not sure that they'd be there for us," Trump said, singling out Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

Photo: EPA