United States President Donald Trump said it is "ridiculous" for the United States to continue its "one-sided" relationship with NATO, less than a week before a NATO summit in Ankara, writes Euronews.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "They were not there for us!!!" and Washington’s relationship with NATO "is not reciprocal". He has repeatedly lashed out at European allies over their response to the war in Iran.

Trump also insists he wants Europe to take the lead role for its own defence, and Washington has already moved to scale back commitments.

His Truth Social post on Thursday included a chart showing NATO spending, with the United States investing vastly more than the other member states depicted.

Under pressure from Trump, NATO leaders agreed at a gathering last year to boost defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.