SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
NATO leaders, including President Trump, arrived in Turkey's capital, Ankara, today. Most European and other allies are spending more on defense and expanding their military capabilities, but President Trump's increasingly confrontational approach toward many NATO countries has forced a debate into the open - how NATO projects unity despite uncertainty about the U.S.'s commitment to the alliance. NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi reports from Ankara.
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: At this year's summit in Ankara, there was one arrival everyone was bracing for.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (Speaking Turkish).
UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Yelling, inaudible).
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AL-SHALCHI: President Trump opened his visit with a few words of Turkish.
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AL-SHALCHI: He's the only leader who got the full ceremonial welcome, a flyover, a military band and a personal greeting from host President Erdogan. And as anticipated, it didn't take long before he showed his disquiet to his NATO alliance partners.
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TRUMP: I was very disappointed with NATO. And frankly, if it weren't held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it's possible that I wouldn't have attended.
AL-SHALCHI: Trump has long argued that NATO allies rely too heavily on the U.S. He says Europe isn't doing enough to help in his war in Iran. Allies have been reluctant to take part in efforts to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or provide military support to the U.S.
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TRUMP: Italy turned us down. And Germany turned us down, and France turned us down. And it's OK. But, you know, why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they're not there for us? We've always been there for them.
AL-SHALCHI: So this week, allies are hoping to convey a message of unity and credibility. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte tried to set the tone of this year's summit with a soccer analogy.
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MARK RUTTE: No team wins because of one brilliant player. Everyone matters. No one wins alone.
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AL-SHALCHI: With a glitzy video, Rutte announced billions in arms deals to prove to Trump NATO is serious.
TORREY TAUSSIG: Financially, European allies are stepping up.
AL-SHALCHI: Torrey Taussig is the director of the Atlantic Council's Transatlantic Security Initiative. She says while the spending increases are significant, allies are also grappling with questions over the future of the alliance.
TAUSSIG: My biggest concern is that it is the political confusion about how committed the United States is to this alliance that weakens fundamentally deterrence in the eyes of Moscow.
AL-SHALCHI: Taussig says that even though NATO is trying to prove its relevance to Trump, many allies are still wary.
TAUSSIG: It is unavoidable when you speak with allied officials, European officials that there is a crisis in confidence about whether the United States would be there in an Article 5 type contingent.
AL-SHALCHI: Taussig is referring to the NATO article that says that an armed attack against one or more of the allies is considered an attack against all. She says for this year's summit, allies are focused on one main goal.
TAUSSIG: This is what I would call a high-stakes summit with low expectations - very high stakes for where this alliance goes on delivering from the pledges of last year and also keeping the United States engaged and committed to the alliance. That means, for the purposes of this summit, keeping the president happy.
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AL-SHALCHI: And that will be on leaders' minds as they gather for dinner tonight to the strains of a military band. The optics are of pageantry, alliance and solidarity. But the real test is whether President Trump shares that vision. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Ankara. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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