NATO Unveils Billions in Arms Deals as Trump Pushes on Greenland

President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara Tuesday for the opening day of the NATO summit, immediately renewing his demand that the United States take control of Greenland from fellow alliance member Denmark — even as NATO leaders worked to appease him with a showcase of billions of dollars in new defense contracts.

Trump Again Claims Greenland Should Belong to the US

Meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Bestepe Presidential Palace, Trump repeated his assertion that Greenland — a semiautonomous Danish territory — should come under American control rather than remain with Denmark. He falsely claimed the island is surrounded by Chinese and Russian vessels and said the United States will not allow it to be threatened.

“That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump told reporters. The remarks renewed tensions with European allies at a summit designed in large part to demonstrate transatlantic unity. The NATO alliance was founded on the principle that its 32 member states will defend each other’s territory — not threaten to seize it.

Trump Lifts Sanctions on Turkey, Opens Door to F-35 Sales

In a significant concession to summit host Erdogan, Trump announced that the United States will lift sanctions imposed on Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act — penalties triggered by Ankara’s 2019 purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems, which led to Turkey being expelled from the F-35 fighter jet program.

“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?” Trump said, adding that Secretaries Rubio, Bessent, and Hegseth were working through the process. He described the possibility of selling F-35s to Turkey as “something certainly we’d consider,” citing the strength of his personal relationship with Erdogan. “Turkey’s been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal,” Trump said.

Erdogan greeted Trump with an elaborate ceremony featuring military officials on horseback and aircraft trailing red, white, and blue smoke. Asked what makes their relationship work, Trump said there’s “a chemistry between us” and that “sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him.”

The announcement drew swift pushback from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he had personally urged Trump not to sell F-35s to Turkey. “This is not a force for peace and stability,” Netanyahu said. “When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake.” Legal obstacles also remain: US law currently prohibits Turkey from purchasing F-35s while it retains the S-400 systems, regardless of sanctions status.

NATO’s “Big Reveal” on Defense Spending

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte presided over what the alliance billed as a “big reveal” — a Defense Industry Forum showcasing military procurement projects worth billions of dollars, intended in part to demonstrate to Trump that allies are following through on their spending pledges.

Swedish manufacturer Saab announced it will supply up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to a ten-nation consortium, replacing NATO’s aging fleet of AWACS early warning planes, some nearly 50 years old. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called it “a moment of great pride.” Representatives from 15 nations also announced a multinational Airbus purchase of air-to-air refueling and transport planes, and Rutte unveiled a four-country effort to buy as many as five Triton surveillance drones.

Rutte had promised on the summit’s eve to announce “tens of billions in new contracts,” though no specific dollar totals were provided at Tuesday’s event and some projects announced had been agreed upon previously. The EU is making available up to $170 billion in cheap defense loans raised on capital markets to help finance some of the projects.

Zelenskyy Pushes for NATO Membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Ankara and made a fresh appeal for Ukraine to be admitted to the alliance, arguing that his country’s battle-hardened military would significantly enhance NATO’s overall defensive capabilities. He highlighted Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russian territory, including recent hits on oil refineries and energy infrastructure, and said Ukrainian forces are eliminating an average of 30,000 Russian troops per month.

“Frankly we take no pride in this,” Zelenskyy said of the war’s toll. “It is one we did not seek but one we are forced to fight.” Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Trump on Wednesday in Ankara.

A senior NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alliance has so far successfully deterred Russia from attacking any member state, despite what the official described as “reckless” Russian behavior including airspace violations over Poland, Romania, and Estonia. Some European capitals are nonetheless expressing mounting concern that Moscow may be preparing a hybrid attack — combining conventional military pressure with cyberattacks — as Putin struggles to achieve decisive gains in Ukraine.

Thousands of protesters from leftist parties, labor groups, and women’s organizations marched in central Istanbul on Tuesday against the NATO summit, with police detaining several demonstrators outside the venue in Ankara.