US President Donald Trump (C-R) meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (C-L) on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. The summit comes at a fraught time for the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance, with the US President demanding members make good on a pledge to ramp up defence spending as Washington takes a step back from Europe. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)