As leaders gather for the high-stakes NATO Summit in Ankara this week, the trans-Atlantic alliance stands at a historic crossroads, confronted by two defining crises: the Russia-Ukraine War and the simmering confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.

What critics previously decried as a widening chasm between Washington and Brussels is instead coalescing into a sharp, transaction-based realism, despite some headline-grabbing bickering between President Donald Trump and allied partners. If this summit yields a successful realignment, Trump may find himself uniquely positioned to fulfill both his domestic and international agendas.