NPR News: 07-06-2026 1AM EDT

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Dale Willman· Host0:13

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. NATO leaders are meeting in Istanbul, Turkey this week. A major focus will be on just who should pay the most for European defense. President Trump has insisted that European countries should be paying more. Max Bergman is with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He says the US messaging so far has been confusing.

Max Bergman· Soundbite0:35

They needed to spend more on defense, that, that has been clear. But we have wanted to play the role of quarterback, uh, in Europe. And when the Europeans have, have moved in the past, uh, through the European Union, for instance, to develop their own defense capabilities, we have told them not to. So now we are sort of switching gears and saying, "Why aren't you taking charge?" And the Europeans are like, "Well, how, how do you want us to do that?" And so we, we are stuck, the United States, of wanting Europe to do more, to be independent, to move, to, to move on.

Dale Willman· Host1:06

President Trump will be heading to Turkey for the meetings. The talks begin on Tuesday. China and Russia have kicked off joint naval drills off the coast of eastern China. As NPR's Emily Fang reports, the exercises demonstrate an increase in military cooperation between the two countries.

Emily Fang1:24

China and Russia have been holding joint naval exercises since the early two thousands, and these naval drills were