NPR News: 07-06-2026 4AM EDT

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Dale Willman· Host0:23

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. China's military test launched a long-range ballistic missile Monday. News reports say it was carrying a dummy warhead and was part of routine training. It was launched from a nuclear-powered sub in the South Pacific. The New Zealand government says it was fired into a nuclear-free zone established in the nineteen eighty-six treaty. NATO's 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 has been confusing.

Max Bergman· Soundbite1:01

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,