US President Donald Trump has criticised the United Kingdom for its role during the war with Iran, stating that London's response to his administration's request for support was 'not in the spirit of Churchill'. The remarks were made during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026.
Trump's Criticism of UK's Stance
When asked by a journalist whether the US would defend a NATO ally under attack, Trump diverted to criticising various allies. He said Spain had been 'very bad' and Italy 'good', but claimed most countries had a 'bad moment'. He asserted that he was told by unnamed nations they would prefer to stay on the sidelines if he requested support for the US military campaign against Iran.
Trump specifically targeted the UK, saying: 'The UK gave an answer which was sort of weird. I said, "would you like to help?" They said "we do, but we want to wait until the war is over". This was not in the spirit of Winston Churchill.'
NATO Unity and Trump's Response
Despite the criticism, Trump appeared to back the NATO alliance, saying: 'If there's one word that comes out today is "unification". I've never seen anything like it. Every one of those countries, they love us, they love each other. That was tremendous unification.' However, he did not directly answer whether the US would defend a NATO ally under attack.
Earlier in March, Trump had criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for taking 'far too long' to allow US forces to use British airbases for strikes against Iran. At that time, Trump also said 'this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with.' Starmer had insisted Britain 'won't be drawn into the wider war' and faced pressure to send Royal Navy ships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
NATO Summit Outcomes
During the summit, Trump also revived the US claim over Greenland, which is part of NATO ally Denmark. Starmer, likely attending his last major international event as Prime Minister, said NATO is 'stronger and more united' coming out of the Ankara summit. He stated leaders 'achieved what we wanted to achieve, which is unity'.
NATO leaders discussed defence investments, defence industry, and support for Ukraine. Progress towards NATO's historic 5% defence investment plan was a key topic. Secretary General Mark Rutte said: 'The task ahead is clear: to turn Allied commitments into concrete results. Increased investment, industrial production and continued support for Ukraine. All of this contributes to a stronger NATO and greater security for all of us.'
