ANKARA: NATO leaders unveiled billions of dollars in arms deals in Turkey on Tuesday, driving home the message that they are heeding U.S. calls to spend more to defend Europe, even as President Donald Trump said he was frustrated.In a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said that he might have boycotted the NATO summit completely had it not been for his warm relations with the Turkish leader, and he did not rule out withdrawing more troops from Europe. “Well, we’ll see. I’m very disappointed in NATO,” he said. Trump added that the allies “did not treat us well,” even as he stressed that he did not want or need their help. “Before I asked, they said they wouldn’t be there, and we’ve invested trillions in NATO,” Trump said.Trump announced that Washington would lift the sanctions imposed on Türkiye since 2020 due to Ankara’s purchase of Russian air defense missiles. He also expressed his willingness to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. This move will be a big gesture for Erdogan and remove a long-standing irritant in bilateral relations.Trump insists on Greenland:Trump insisted that the United States should be in control of Greenland rather than Denmark, a NATO ally, repeating an assertion that has raised deep tensions in Europe.
Trump said that the island is an “important part” for the United States, as he repeated his claim that it is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships, and said that he would not allow Greenland to be threatened by them.The Need for an Industrial Revolution: NATO Secretary GeneralNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that the Europeans have achieved “astonishing” increases in defense spending. Before Trump’s arrival, Rutte announced a series of initiatives and deals at a defense industry forum, calling for a “revolution” in the defense industry across the alliance, warning against massive military spending by Russia as well as China, North Korea and Iran.
“We don’t have the luxury of time. We need the capabilities now to ensure we stay prepared.
Rutte said the security situation required this.“The hum of machinery must turn into a roar.” The deals, valued at no less than $50 billion according to a NATO official, included European countries purchasing unmanned reconnaissance aircraft from the American company Northrop Grumman, and NATO purchasing aircraft from the Swedish company Saab.“Melonie is a nice person.”Trump described Italian Prime Minister Meloni as a “nice person” but criticized her for failing to help in the conflict with Iran. “She refused to get involved, which strained my relationship with her a little bit,” Trump said. “But I love her. I think she’s a nice person. But I think she made a mistake.” Agencies
