Trump to attend next NATO meeting to demand 'significant changes' in alliance

President Donald Trump will attend the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assembly, to be held in Ankara, Turkey on July 7-8.

It was Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who confirmed Trump's attendance at the summit.

"The President himself will be attending the next NATO meeting of heads of state," Rubio said Wednesday during his appearance in the Senate.

The chief diplomat, who will also be at the NATO meeting, said Trump's presence will serve to address "the significant changes" demanded by Washington, D.C. in the alliance.

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"We're still in NATO, but NATO needs significant changes," Rubio stated, stressing that it will be "probably the most important meeting in NATO's history" because "there's some things that need to be cleared up and fixed."

The Middle East conflict strained relations between the U.S. and several NATO member countries over Washington, D.C.'s support for Israel.

Allies such as Spain refused to lend their support to Benjamin Netanyahu's government in its mission against the Islamist regime in Iran and against terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.