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United States President Donald Trump will attend the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in Turkey in July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, as questions persist over Washington’s commitment to the alliance.
Rubio told lawmakers that Trump would be present at the meeting of NATO heads of state scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara, noting that discussions would address concerns about the alliance’s future direction.
He said the United States remained within the alliance but stressed that reforms were necessary, describing the gathering of 32 member states as a crucial moment for NATO.
“The President himself will be attending the next NATO meeting of heads of state, where all these points will be made clear,” Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“We’re still in NATO, but NATO needs significant changes.”
Rubio added that the summit would be one of the most significant in NATO’s history, arguing that key issues needed to be clarified and resolved.
Tensions between the US and its allies have continued in recent months, particularly after some European countries declined to support Washington and Israel in military actions against Iran. The US has also moved to reduce its troop presence in parts of Europe.
In separate remarks to Congress, Rubio criticised Spain for refusing to allow US forces to use its military bases in certain contingency operations, saying such actions raised broader concerns about alliance unity.
