Trump Berates NATO Allies, Woos Erdogan at Turkey Summit
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- Trump arrived in Ankara for a NATO summit on July 7, 2026, praising his "chemistry" with Erdogan while saying he was "very disappointed with NATO" and might not have attended if the summit hadn't been held in Turkey.
- Trump said Washington would consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, which was expelled from the program in 2019 over its Russian S-400 purchase; Erdogan said Trump "personally gave us his word."
- Trump singled out Italy, Germany, and France for restricting U.S. forces' use of bases at the start of the Iran conflict, saying he was "testing" whether allies would "be there" for the U.S.
- Trump reiterated that Greenland "should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark," reopening a long-running transatlantic sore point.
- NATO allies unveiled tens of billions in arms deals ahead of Trump's arrival, with NATO chief Mark Rutte insisting European countries are "delivering" on last year's defense spending pledges.
- Zelenskyy made a fresh pitch for Ukraine's NATO membership and urgent air-defense interceptors, while Trump said he had spoken with Putin and that both leaders "want to make a deal."
Why it matters: A potential F-35 sale would reverse Turkey's 2019 expulsion from the program over its Russian S-400 purchase, handing Erdogan a major diplomatic win and resetting a seven-year rift. Meanwhile, Trump's public airing of grievances over allies denying U.S. base access during the Iran conflict exposes fresh cracks in NATO as Washington steps back from Europe.
