NATO countries, including the United States, reaffirmed on Wednesday July 8 their “unwavering” commitment to the mutual assistance clause, enshrined in Article 5 of the Alliance Treaty, according to the text of the Ankara summit declaration.
“An attack on one ally is an attack on all,” recalls the text of this declaration, published on the second and last day of the Alliance summit in Ankara. “Our unity, our solidarity and our collective strength remain the foundation on which peace, security and prosperity rest,” according to this text.
US President Donald Trump hailed a “very good meeting” at the end of the summit. “It was a very good meeting, there was a lot of love in the room, a lot of unity,” he declared, at the start of a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Angry at NATO”
A few hours earlier, the American president had expressed his frustration with his European allies. “I am very angry with NATO,” he said shortly before the start of the second and last day of this summit.
“I’m not happy with NATO because of what they did with Greenland, and I’m not happy with NATO because they didn’t want to help us against the main state that supports terrorism, namely Iran,” he said, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who remained impassive.
Article 5, the pillar of the Atlantic Alliance created in 1949, has only been triggered once, for the benefit of the United States, after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
On Ukraine, the 32 NATO countries also reaffirm their “unwavering support” for this country at war with Russia, which, affirm the Allies, “contributes to transatlantic security and defends its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” adds the text.
