The US Ambassador to NATO stated on Monday that the current tensions within the alliance, stemming from pressure from the Trump administration on allies to boost their defense spending, represent "growing pains" rather than a crisis.

"Our objective is for Europe to take charge of conventional defense on the continent," said Matthew Whitaker, speaking ahead of a crucial NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Regarding US involvement in European defense and security matters, he added, "We are not leaving; we are simply doing less."

Whitaker expressed his view that the present friction concerning defense budgets among European governments falls into the category of "growing pains."

"I believe these are challenges we have previously overcome," he remarked, highlighting the uneven levels of defense expenditure across Europe, including what he termed "stragglers" that must commit to increasing spending over the next decade.

At last year's NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, the allies agreed on a target: to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, with core defense expenditure accounting for 3.5%.

This agreement, reached after years of pressure from Washington, is widely seen as a significant breakthrough for the transatlantic alliance.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted that the current task is to "translate the commitments of the allies into concrete results." National leaders are scheduled to convene in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday.