At a NATO summit in Ankara, Sir Keir Starmer was handed a personalised revolver with live ammunition as a gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – a vivid symbol of the alliance's odd mix of camaraderie and coercion. The prime minister, who is about to leave Downing Street, said he will keep in touch with US President Donald Trump after their working relationship, which once saw Trump mock him as "no Winston Churchill" over a row about UK bases for strikes on Iran. The encounter highlights a fundamental question: what exactly is NATO, and how does the UK fit into an alliance that one of its most powerful members – the United States – seems to treat with alternating contempt and praise?
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was founded in 1949 as a collective defence pact against Soviet communism. Its core principle is Article 5: an attack on one member is an attack on all. The UK has been a founding member and, along with the US, has long been one of its key military backers. But the alliance has faced strains in recent years, particularly over defence spending. Trump has frequently accused European members of "ripping off" the US by not paying their fair share, and has demanded they increase their budgets. At the Ankara summit in July 2026, Trump lashed out at the alliance – calling members "scum" and “sick people” – before emerging from a meeting to declare there was "a lot of love in that room" and praising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "ingenious". This volatility has left US allies apprehensive.
“Explains NATO, the UK-US relationship under Trump, and what Nato 3.0 means for Britain.”
The relationship between UK prime ministers and US presidents has historically been described as a "special relationship". Sir Keir Starmer developed a positive relationship with Trump in his early months in office, which his team highlighted as a major success – including a two-hour dinner at Trump Tower in September 2024. However, tensions flared when the UK refused to permit the use of its bases for initial US-Israel strikes on Iran, leading Trump to criticise Sir Keir. At the Ankara summit, Sir Keir stressed that the strategic alliance is "hugely important" in defence and security, and that the two countries work "together 24/7". He said his ability to get on with Trump was "really important for my country".
For UK readers, the health of the UK-US relationship directly affects national security. The UK relies on US intelligence and military cooperation. Trump's demands for higher European defence spending have already pushed NATO allies to announce a £37bn missile project. The shift, sometimes called "Nato 3.0", is a Trump administration vision – advanced by Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby – for a return to the alliance's original Cold War purpose: European deterrence and defence. This means Europeans must pour billions into defence industrial production to take care of their own conventional defence, freeing the US for other conflicts. A senior NATO official described a “simultaneity problem” – the US worried about fighting multiple major conflicts at once – which is why Europeans are stepping up. The UK, as Europe's largest defence spender, will be expected to lead this effort, with implications for the British defence budget and military commitments.
Q: What is NATO and why was it formed? NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military alliance of 32 countries, mostly European, plus the US and Canada. It was founded in 1949 to defend against the Soviet Union, based on the principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all (Article 5).
Q: Why does Donald Trump criticise NATO? Trump has repeatedly said NATO members are not paying enough for their own defence, accusing them of "ripping off" the US. He also called the alliance a "paper tiger" and demanded that European countries increase defence spending to reduce the US burden.
Q: What is “Nato 3.0”? “Nato 3.0” is a term used by the Trump administration to describe a return to the alliance's original purpose: European defence. It calls for European nations to invest more in their own military capabilities, while the US focuses on other threats, ensuring a “stronger Europe in a stronger Nato”.
What happens next is uncertain. Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as Labour leader and will step down as prime minister. The only current candidate to replace him is Andy Burnham, who could take office on 20 July. The new UK leader will inherit the challenge of managing ties with a capricious US president and navigating the demands of Nato 3.0. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to push for higher European defence spending, and the alliance's future direction will be shaped by upcoming decisions on budgets and military commitments.