From Rossiiskaya gazeta, July 10, 2026, p. 6. Complete text:
The recently finished NATO summit in Ankara is memorable for two events. The first is that during the alliance’s meeting, US President Donald Trump again ordered that Iran be bombed, and that news momentarily cast a pall over what was happening in Turkey. The second is that the American leader, having flown to the summit in a luxurious airplane given to him by Qatar, was forced to return home on a different plane – an older Air Force One, less luxurious, but equipped with antimissile systems. Regarding the cause for the change of planes, Trump as always came up with a charming story, explaining to journalists that he sent the new one to a US air base in the UK to give local service members “a chance to tour the Aircraft.”
The Secret Service declined to comment on the matter, referring to the statements from the head of the White House. But American media were able to make some conclusions based on indirect evidence – Trump boarded the plane with unusual speed, without giving journalists the time to take pictures, and passengers on the presidential airplane were told to close the windows before takeoff. They asserted that the Secret Service insisted on the change in aircraft and special security measures after the conflict with Iran began again.
On the whole, the Ankara summit took place in an atmosphere of disingenuous love and universal mistrust. The participants of the gathering demonstrated their love for one person – the US president. They did so with such importunity that it became awkward even for Trump. “They said, ‘We love, sir, we love you.’ These are grown people saying that, isn’t that nice?” Trump bragged to journalists, describing conversations behind closed doors. As for trust, speeches about its mutual presence literally oozed from the closing comments, but such are the rules of the game. The “incredible unity” that the NATO countries proclaimed to the world with all their might is what the head of the White House demanded from his loyal European subjects. And nobody dared upset him.
Ahead of the summit, sources in the US repeatedly warned partners in the Old World that Trump, already annoyed by his European allies’ behavior during the Iran conflict, was ready to slam the door on them, which would turn the Ankara summit into the alliance’s funeral. Thus, most of the time, the participants in the gathering sought to prove their fealty to “daddy” to avoid incurring his wrath. The exception was Spain, which refused to pay its dues to the NATO pot, citing a lack of threats requiring such military expenses. This roused a furious reaction from Trump, who declared, “I don’t want anything to do with Spain” and demanded an end to all trade with the country – which, by the way, has a population of over 46 million people. For their refusal to contribute to the NATO budget, the US president called the Spaniards “hopeless, bad people.” Almost as bad as the Iranians. But after Madrid ended up agreeing to raise spending on the alliance, Trump quickly backpedaled, declaring that there would be no sanctions against Spain.
The US president completely used the event in Ankara as an audition for European allies seeking American protection. It went so far that the summit participants agreed among themselves in advance never to mention, even on the sidelines, the result of the US-Belgium soccer match at the World Cup (the US lost 4-1) to avoid ruining Trump’s mood. That way, he would sign the final declaration with no objections. Unsurprisingly, the US president called the events of the summit one big “Kumbaya.” This is a rather fitting comparison, considering that “Kumbaya” was performed by African slaves, and the song is meant as a call to the Lord to come and help those in need. I don’t need to tell you who Trump thought was performing the song, and whom they were appealing to.
Having promised Zelensky permission to produce Patriot missile systems – yet another improvisation by the head of the White House, who had not notified the manufacturers of these weapons – Trump again found a way to kick his little European allies. He declared that Ukraine is able to figure out production, unlike “most countries, they wouldn’t know what I’m talking about.”
As for the phrase written in the final declaration, that Russia posed a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security (this was also stated in the 2022 NATO strategic concept [see Vol. 74, No. 26, pp. 3-7]), by signing it, the US president formally contradicted the American national strategy, where Moscow is not mentioned as a threat. But it seems the head of the White House cares so little about the political paperwork adopted by the alliance members that, so long as they impose no requirements on Washington, he simply ignores such empty declarations.
Trump flew home having promised to return for the next summit in Albania, while the European NATO members were stuck with the bill for Ukraine – 70 billion euros for this year, and as much for the next. Most of that money will be sent across the ocean to buy American weapons. Singing this “Kumbaya” costs Europe dearly. But its made its bed.