NATO expected to symbolically join fight against ISIS in bid to make Trump happy

NATO is expected to symbolically join the international coalition against the Islamic State on Wednesday in a bid to earn to approval of President Trump, who is traveling to their headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. Trump has slammed the alliance for being "obsolete" because it is not addressing "taking care of terror," although member nations have increased defense spending in recent years in response to Russian aggression.

"It's not fair that we're paying close to 4 percent and other countries that are more directly affected are paying 1 percent when they're supposed to be paying 2 percent," Trump has complained. The United States is among five members currently meeting spending targets in the alliance.

On Thursday, "an anti-terror coordinator may also be named, but most changes will be cosmetic, as NATO allies have no intention of going to war against [the Islamic State]," The Associated Press reports.

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"It's totally out of the question for NATO to engage in any combat operations," said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.