France, July 6 -- The Ankara meeting is overshadowed by renewed friction between Washington and its European allies.

US President Donald Trump has again questioned NATO's value, calling the relationship "ridiculous" and "not reciprocal" in comments that revive longstanding disputes over defence spending and strategic priorities. Screenshot from a "Truth Social" post by American President Donald Trump, criticising NATO partners who in his opinion don't spend enough money on the alliance.

"Ridiculous for the USA to continue along this one sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal," he wrote. "They were not there for us!!!"

But Secretary General Mark Rutte says that "NATO must remain strong, keep supporting Ukraine, and deepen pa...