British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reported that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) emerged from a recent leaders' meeting stronger and more united. The sentiment was echoed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who described the summit as "very successful" and noted that fellow NATO members were "answering the call" to increase defense funding.
During the meeting of NATO leaders, President Trump had previously voiced concerns that allies were not sufficiently contributing to shared security, referencing the U.S. involvement in conflicts in the Middle East and criticizing the United Kingdom's initial response to a request regarding the use of British bases. However, following the summit, Trump expressed pleasure with the spirit and unity demonstrated by the alliance.
"All the leaders spoke in the meeting and at the end President Trump summed up and said he was very pleased to welcome the spirit of the meeting and the unity of the meeting," Starmer stated. "And therefore in terms of what's the outcome here and answering that question 'Is Nato stronger and more united coming out of this summit?', then the answer is yes to that. And that really was all of our main purpose."
Trump has consistently advocated for NATO members to increase their defense spending, with the alliance agreeing last year that members would aim to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense and security by 2035. He indicated satisfaction with the progress, stating, "Some have truly answered the call, and others are making big changes, and will be answering the call. I think I can say, in all cases, they're going to be answering the call."
Starmer indicated he intends to maintain communication with Trump following the latter's departure from Downing Street. The Prime Minister also shared that the U.S. President wished him well during the NATO leaders' gathering in Turkey.