The public breakdown also signals a major crisis looming between European members of Nato and the US.

Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fanned out to European capitals this month delivering what Hegseth characterized as a "stark" message to America's treaty allies: "Now is the time to invest [in defense], because you can't make an assumption that America's presence will last forever."

During a conversation in front of cameras, relations broke down as Trump and Zelensky started arguing in front of reporters, leading to Vance jumping in and scolding Zelensky, accusing him of campaigning with Democrats in 2024 and not being "grateful" for U.S. support to fight off the Russian invasion.

Former French President François Hollande asserts that President Donald Trump and his administration are "no longer" allies, saying a U.S.-Europe "divorce" could be on the horizon.

Zelenskyy remains adamant about NATO membership for Ukraine because it means that other security guarantees are more likely, experts say.

Citing unnamed U.S. officials, Bloomberg reported that Moscow and Washington were discussing economic cooperation in the far north, which could "drive a wedge" between Russia and its key trading ally, China. It could also be part of a detente between the U.S. and Russia sought by President Donald Trump.

Local leaders and some foreign policy experts say it is a big win for Dayton and the state Ohio to host the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in late May. This is the first Parliamentary Assembly session to be held stateside in more than two decades and comes amid strained U.

President Trump has called on NATO allies to increase their defense spending to 5 percent, with only three countries currently meeting the 2 percent threshold, while NATO Secretary General Mark

As NATO chief, he earned the moniker “Trump whisperer” for convincing the US president not to withdraw from the transatlantic military alliance. He also welcomed Sweden and Finland as its new members following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.