World leaders are gathering in Ankara, Turkey, for the NATO Summit 2026. The two-day summit, kicked off on Tuesday with a renewed demand from US President Donald Trump for the acquisition of Greenland.
Trump reiterated his stance and wish to purchase Greenland, stating that the autonomous island should be controlled by the US, not Denmark.
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Along with this, fresh attacks between Russia and Ukraine were also in focus as NATO allies continue to work towards battling an increased threat from Moscow.
Here’s a look at what went down on the first day of the NATO Summit
NATO Summit 2026 in Ankara | Day 1 highlights
- Trump wants Greenland, again: US President Donald Trump, who has already brought unease to ties between the US and Europe, once again reiterated that the US should “control” Greenland. Trump’s desire for Greenland sparked a rift between Washington and its European allies, prompting NATO and EU leaders to step in to defend the autonomous island. Denmark’s Prime Minister reiterated that Greenland is not for sale, and Denmark stands “ready to defend every inch of NATO, including our own territory” in the event of an attack.
- Threat from Russia rises: Amid the debate over Greenland, NATO allies called on Trump and fellow leaders to focus on the threat caused by Russia, especially as attacks between Moscow and Kyiv escalate in their four-year-long war. Taking the focus away from Greenland, Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir called for unity and urged allies to work towards combating the threat raised by Russia. “Russia is their biggest threat when it comes to these NATO allies. We need to focus on us and how we stick together,” she said.
- Iran war back on agenda as US launches fresh strikes: As the US launched fresh strikes against Iran, reigniting tensions in the region, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced support for Trump and stated that the fresh strikes were “absolutely necessary.” “I think it was absolutely necessary because when you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating a ceasefire, we see what happened yesterday,” Rutte told reporters.
- Commitment to defence spending: Since assuming office in 2025, President Trump has called on NATO allies to contribute more to the defence spending, as compared to the US. At the Ankara summit, Trump reiterated this call, to which Rutte said there is “commitment” from the allies.
What’s on the cards for Day 2?
The second day of the NATO Summit has already kicked off with a major statement from Trump, declaring that the ceasefire with Iran “is over.”
Furthermore, the US President has expressed his anger towards the lack of NATO support in the ongoing war with Iran and the US control over Greenland.
Trump also called on US treasury secretary Scott Bessent to cut off trade ties with Spain. “Spain doesn’t agree to anything, and you shouldn’t carry them,” Trump told Rutte, further directing US officials to cut ties.
“Take it immediately, Don’t even talk to them. They’re hopeless. They’re bad people, They make so much money with us, and we’re going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them,” said Trump.
NATO leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to advocate for a seat in the alliance and increased defence support from the alliance to combat Russia.
