U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the NATO heads‑of‑state summit in Turkey in July, Senator Marco Rubio confirmed. Rubio said Trump is frustrated that some allies denied use of military bases and refused airspace or naval support during the Iran crisis. Several NATO members rejected U.S. requests related to operations near the Strait of Hormuz. The summit is expected to address alliance unity, burden‑sharing and regional security.
Trump To Attend NATO Heads‑Of‑State Summit In Turkey In July, Rubio Confirms — Allies Relieved
Soldiers handle the NATO flag on the day of the opening ceremony of NATO's Northern Multi-Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) in Mikkeli, Finland, October 3, 2025. Lehtikuva/Matias Honkamaa/via REUTERS
WASHINGTON, June 3 — U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the NATO meeting of heads of state in Turkey this July, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, a confirmation that is likely to ease concerns among allied capitals.
Although American presidents routinely join NATO summits because of Washington’s central role in the alliance, questions had arisen this year after Trump repeatedly expressed frustration with NATO, accusing some members of failing to support the United States amid tensions with Iran.
Speaking at a congressional hearing, Senator Rubio said Trump’s main grievance was that a number of member states would not permit U.S. forces to use their military bases during a crisis. Despite those disputes, Rubio affirmed the president’s intention to attend the leaders’ gathering.
"The United States is still in the NATO alliance, and we'll be there in Turkey to talk about all these topics. The president himself will be attending the next NATO meeting of heads of state, where all these points will be made clear," Rubio said.
Earlier this month several NATO countries refused requests related to U.S. operations connected to the Iran crisis: some denied U.S. military planes access to their airspace, while others declined to send naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for energy tankers. Those decisions have fed into a broader dispute over burden‑sharing and operational cooperation.
Trump has on multiple occasions described NATO as a "paper tiger" and has suggested the possibility of withdrawing from the 32‑member alliance, arguing that some European partners have relied on U.S. security guarantees while not doing enough to support U.S. actions linked to Iran.
The July summit in Turkey is expected to give leaders a forum to address those tensions, reaffirm NATO commitments and discuss security challenges including Iran, burden‑sharing and regional stability.
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