ANKARA, Turkey (AP) 鈥� President on Tuesday insisted that the United States should be in rather than NATO ally Denmark, renewing tensions in Europe even as the trans-Atlantic military alliance was announcing billions in arms deals at a summit in an the mercurial U.S. leader.
Trump called the semiautonomous island 鈥渁n important part” for the United States, as he that it鈥檚 surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships and said he won’t let Greenland be threatened.
鈥淭hat should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,鈥� Trump told reporters during a meeting with Turkish President in Ankara.
The NATO alliance was founded on the principle that its 32 members will defend each others’ territory and not threaten to seize it. At the summit, European countries and the alliance’s secretary-general, , were already working overtime to address another longstanding Trump complaint: that European allies do not spend enough on their own defense.
Separately, Trump announced that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey that were issued after Ankara purchased a Russian missile defense system that led to the country being kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program 鈥� in a nod to .
Trump cites Erdogan 鈥榗hemistry鈥� as he lifts an obstacle on F-35s
Turkey’s purchase in 2019 of Russian-made missile defense systems sparked years of tensions, despite the warm personal relationship between Trump and Erdogan dating back to the U.S. president’s first term.
Legal hurdles remain before Turkey could be fully admitted back to the U.S. F-35 program, but the removal of sanctions issued under the Countering America鈥檚 Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would help ease that process. Regaining access to the F-35s is a top goal of Erdogan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?鈥� Trump said in response to a question, saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were working on the issue.
Trump said the possibility of selling F-35s to Turkey is 鈥渟omething certainly we鈥檇 consider鈥� given the countries’ relationship, and that 鈥淭urkey鈥檚 been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal.鈥�
Erdogan expressed hope that the U.S. will sell the F-35s, saying the U.S. president always stands by his word.
Trump and Erdogan showed off their fondness for each other. Erdogan greeted Trump with an elaborate ceremony involving military officials on horseback and jets overhead emitting red, white and blue smoke.
Asked what makes their relationship so strong, Trump said there鈥檚 鈥渁 chemistry that works between us,” adding that 鈥淪ometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him.鈥�
Turkey’s access to U.S. F-35s could complicate relationships elsewhere. said he has urged Trump not to sell the fighter jets to Turkey, saying it would put Israel in danger.
鈥淭his is not a force for peace and stability,鈥� Netanyahu said on CNN. 鈥淲hen you give them that power, you鈥檙e going to see aggression its wake.鈥�
There is also opposition among U.S. lawmakers to Turkey having the F-35s as long as the Russian missile defense system remains in its possession. Even if sanctions are lifted, the Trump administration still faces restrictions under U.S. law that prevents Turkey from being able to purchase the fighter jets if it owns the S-400s.
NATO has 鈥榤oment of great pride鈥� on defense
Earlier in the day, NATO showcased military projects worth billions of dollars 鈥� an investment Rutte called 鈥渕oney well spent” and one clearly meant to try to satisfy Trump.
Rutte was speaking to government ministers and defense industry officials at a forum billed as NATO鈥檚 鈥渂ig reveal,鈥� to the thrum of techno music.
NATO does not own weapons 鈥� these are the property of member countries 鈥� but it has 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes that are about 50 years old, along with newer surveillance drones.
A deal to replace the aging planes was announced Tuesday. Swedish manufacturer Saab will supply up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for a 10-nation consortium, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a moment of great pride,鈥� he said.
Some projects will be paid for with funds from a for defense purposes set up by the European Union, comprising up to $170 billion raised on capital markets.
Representatives from 15 nations announced a multinational effort to buy air-to-air refueling and transport planes from Airbus. Then Rutte announced a four-country effort to purchase as many as five new Triton surveillance drones.
Rutte had told reporters on the eve of the two-day that 鈥渨e will announce tens of billions in new contracts.鈥� However, at Tuesday’s event, no dollar figures were given and the display included some projects long since agreed.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy pushes for NATO entry
Separately, Ukrainian President made a fresh appeal for his country to be allowed to join the alliance, saying his country’s armed forces are highly experienced and would boost NATO’s defense capabilities.
He highlighted Ukraine鈥檚 ability to strike deep inside Russia and hit oil refineries and other energy targets. He said Ukraine鈥檚 armed forces are 鈥渆liminating鈥� on average 30,000 Russian troops every month. He is set to in Ankara.
鈥淔rankly we take no pride in this,鈥� Zelenskyy said, noting that the war with Russia 鈥� now in its fifth year 鈥� is one “we did not seek but one we are forced to fight.鈥�
Concern is mounting among some European countries that Russia might be preparing a hybrid attack 鈥� a combination of conventional warfare with tactics like cyberattacks 鈥� on the continent as struggles
Yet a senior NATO official, speaking on the summit’s sidelines, said that despite some 鈥渞eckless鈥� actions by Russia, including airspace violations over Poland, Romania and Estonia, the alliance has been successful in deterring Moscow from any potential attack on a member country. The official insisted on anonymity to brief reporters.
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Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Andy Wilks in Istanbul and Michelle L. Price and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.
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