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Sen. Dick Durbin states that Trump smartly urged NATO members to increase their spending.

July 8, 2026

President Trump Arrives in Türkiye for NATO Summit

President Donald Trump has landed in Ankara, Turkey, for a significant NATO summit. The discussions will cover several crucial topics such as the F-35 fighter jet program, Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 Russian defense system, and the push for NATO allies to boost their defense budgets.

In a recent appearance on CBS News, Senator Dick Durbin, a senior Democratic member, acknowledged that President Trump has, perhaps wisely, asked NATO allies to increase their defense spending.

Sen. Durbin, from Illinois, is in Turkey this week as part of a bipartisan Congressional delegation. During an interview, he was asked about Trump’s complicated relationship with NATO. Durbin described it as a sort of “love-hate relationship” and emphasized that asking 32 NATO allies to invest more in their defense is a reasonable request.

The focus at this summit will likely be on Ukraine and defense spending as President Trump participates in what is expected to be a pivotal NATO meetup.

Durbin, with nearly 30 years in the Senate and currently serving as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, is participating in the conference alongside Senator Jeanne Shaheen and members of the U.S. delegation, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

While he expressed approval of Trump’s request regarding defense spending, Durbin also pointed out that doubts about NATO’s future commitment arose during Trump’s second term, highlighting the mixed sentiments surrounding the alliance.

Trump previously mentioned on social media that the U.S. is spending much more on NATO defense than any other nation—approximately $999 billion, compared to countries like the UK and France at significantly lower amounts. He finds this disparity concerning and has stated that such a path is “ridiculous.”

As NATO leaders are set to endorse a new standard requiring allies to allocate 5% of their GDP toward defense, the summit is seen as a crucial moment for both Trump and NATO’s future.