Nato summit faces tricky diplomacy with Trump over his defense spending demands | First Thing

Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in Ankara ahead of tricky talks. Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA View image in fullscreen Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in Ankara ahead of tricky talks. Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA First Thing: Nato summit faces tricky diplomacy with Trump over his defense spending demands Leaders meeting in Ankara have been urged to show US president concrete steps towards increasing their budget contribution. Plus why Madonna’s new album is a triumph and Helen Hunt on her new stage role Good morning. Nato leaders will gather in Ankara today for their latest summit after a turbulent six months, hoping to mollify an unpredictable Donald Trump , as Washington continues to pressure its allies to increase defence spending. On Friday, Trump posted a graphic on his Truth Social platform showing Nato members’ defence budgets, comparing a vast US spend of $999m (£747m) with smaller figures from European states saying the situation was “ridiculous” and “one-sided”. The US is planning to cut the number of troops and materiel it assigns to Europe in the event of a war with Russia. Nato members will announce tens of billions in new arms contracts at an industry forum on the sidelines of the summit. Mark Rutte, Nato’s secretary general, called for the allies to present “clear, concrete and credible plans” to reach the organisation’s spending targets. “President Trump fully expects that all allies will step up immediately and get on the path to 5% and do it with urgency,” he said. What is causing tension between the US and the rest of Nato? Since threatening to take control of Greenland from ally Denmark, Trump has failed to consult European leaders before the US and Israel launched their economically disastrous attack on Iran, and complained countries including the UK did not allow US jets to bomb Iran from their territory. He has bizarrely accused Italy’s Giorgia Meloni of being obsessed with him, and relations with Canada’s Mark Carney are strained after Trump voiced an interest in a takeover of the US’s northern neighbor. Calls grow for Graham Platner to drop out after sexual assault allegation View image in fullscreen Graham Platner reacts at a campaign town hall meeting in Portland, Maine, in June. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters Calls for Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, to withdraw his candidacy intensified after a woman accused him of sexual assault . While Platner denied the claims, many top Democratic figures quickly called on the beleaguered nominee to step down. Maine’s Democratic party leadership said Platner should withdraw from the race, and in a joint statement, the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, and the Democratic senatorial campaign committee chair, Kirsten Gillibrand, said Platner should “immediately withdraw”. “The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” they said. What are the allegations against Platner? In an exclusive Politico report