Overview
- President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday and used opening remarks to sharply criticize many NATO allies, praise host Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, threaten possible troop withdrawals and suggest reviving F‑35 sales to Turkey.
- NATO staged a defense‑industry forum that unveiled multinational procurement efforts worth billions, including Saab GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, Airbus refueling and transport purchases, and Triton surveillance drones to boost European firepower.
- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged immediate transfers of Patriot interceptor missiles and access to production licences, saying shortages have left Kyiv unable to stop Russian ballistic strikes.
- The U.S. displayed mixed signals at the summit as the Pentagon conducts a six‑month Europe posture review and Washington has paused some Ukraine deliveries, creating uncertainty over long‑term American guarantees to NATO and Kyiv.
- Allies point to a pledge to reach 5 percent of GDP on defense and rising budgets, but officials warn production, supply‑chain and legal limits—notably U.S. law barring F‑35 sales to Turkey while it operates S‑400 systems—will slow conversion of money into high‑end capabilities.