by Amanda Head
Trump’s outside-the-norm and unusually direct diplomacy style has proven fruitful not only in avoiding wars but in concluding conflicts that began under his predecessors.
President Donald Trump arrived Tusday in Ankara for a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit shaped by his trademark blend of tough spending demands, personal diplomacy and pragmatic deal-making, moves supporters say are forging a more accountable – and ultimately stronger – alliance at a time of global strain.
Trump, greeted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon landing, kicked off the two-day gathering with bilateral talks expected to mix renewed pressure on allies to boost defense budgets, warm ties with key partners such as Turkey, and a high-stakes sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed at advancing an end to the war with Russia.
"You've been a great leader and a respected leader all over the world, and we've had right from the beginning good chemistry. We've had a very special relationship. Turkey has become under the President Erdogan a very powerful country militarily," Trump told the reports upon arriving.
Pay up or else ...
Trump has for years criticized NATO member-nations for their lopsided contributions to the collective's defense fund, arguing since his 2016 campaign that the United States carries a disproportionate burden while many European nations underinvest and rely on American protection.
During his first term, he bluntly pressed the issue at summits, at times calling for allies to double the longstanding 2% of GDP guideline and accusing some of owing the U.S. “massive amounts.”
To the dismay of his detractors, his sustained “tough love” approach has coincided with major results. European allies and Canada more than doubled their real defense spending between 2014 and 2025, posting a nearly 20% increase in 2025 alone.
All NATO members now meet or exceed the 2% benchmark, and at the 2025 Hague Summit they agreed to an ambitious new target of 5% of GDP by 2035.
Trump deals mano a mano
When Trump launched his first campaign, in 2015, after years of speaking publicly on social media on all matters political, including foreign policy, he was roundly criticized for his lack of experience in diplomacy.
However, his outside-the-norm and unusually direct diplomacy style has proven fruitful not only in avoiding wars but in concluding conflicts which began under his predecessors.
The latest effect of his anomalous diplomacy is evident in the directness of his communications, and the reception by Erdogan, who Trump described as a “friend” and has maintained warm ties despite disputes such as Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 systems.
At the current summit, Trump was personally greeted by Erdogan upon arrival and held bilateral talks that included discussions on potential F-35 sales and broader cooperation.
More broadly, Trump's unconventional approach has helped navigate alliance frictions, which have oftentimes secured practical outcomes, and underscored Trump’s preference for transactional deal-making over bureaucratic multilateralism, and yielding quicker progress on issues like defense collaboration and regional stability.
Throughout his presidencies, Trump's diplomacy has contributed to de-escalating major tensions, notably through multiple summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un following the heated 2017 “fire and fury” period and missile tests.
The engagements produced a prolonged moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing, repatriation of U.S. war remains, and a period of reduced immediate conflict risk on the Korean Peninsula.
Similarly, his administration’s direct brokering of the Abraham Accords normalized relations between Israel and Arab nations including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco – advancing Middle East stability in ways longstanding multilateral efforts had struggled to achieve.
Trump on Russia and Ukraine: 'we're going to get it settled'
The Russia-Ukraine war remains a war of attrition. Russian forces continue slow, incremental advances and infiltrations in Donetsk Oblast, while Putin has made exaggerated claims of major gains.
Ukraine maintains defensive positions, conducts long-range strikes on Russian energy and military targets, and has repelled larger offensives. Russia has recently launched heavy missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, causing civilian deaths.
Trump has actively pursued diplomacy, holding extended calls with Putin (offering to help find a solution) and Zelenskyy just days ago.
"I think he [Putin] does feel pressure. He wants to end it and Ukraine wants to end it. We’re in talks and we’ll see if we can get it ended. It's a terrible thing," Trump said on Monday at the White House.
"I ended eight wars and this was going to be an easier one because I knew both heads. I think we’re getting much closer than people realize."
Similar to the conflict with Iran, for this war to end, a negotiated ceasefire must be reached with a subsequent peace agreement.
This would likely freeze the front lines along roughly current positions, with Russia retaining de facto control over occupied territories (including Crimea and significant portions of Donetsk, Luhansk, and other regions) in exchange for robust security guarantees for Ukraine (bilateral or multilateral arrangements short of full NATO membership), demilitarized buffer zones, limits on Ukrainian forces or weaponry in sensitive areas, sanctions relief for Russia, and commitments to reconstruction and economic normalization.
Both sides will need to compromise on territorial integrity, neutrality/security pacts, and verification mechanisms to prevent renewed fighting.
Amanda Head is White House correspondent for Just The News. You can follow her here.
Source: https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/accountability-alliances-and-art-peace-deal-how-trumps-tough-love-tour
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