President Trump sharply criticized Western European NATO allies as unreliable partners during the opening of a two-day summit in Ankara, Turkey. Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump expressed uncertainty about whether allies would support the United States in a crisis, citing Italy, Germany, and France's refusal to assist during his campaign against Iran. He questioned the continued heavy U.S. spending on mutual defense given the lack of reciprocal support and suggested the possibility of withdrawing American troops from Europe entirely.

Trump also revived his push for U.S. control of Greenland, currently governed by Denmark, warning that Europe's immigration and energy policies could threaten its future if left unaddressed. Regarding Turkey, Trump signaled openness to readmitting Ankara into the F-35 fighter jet program, from which it was removed in 2019 after acquiring Russia's S-400 air defense system. He stated he has "no concerns" about Turkey and plans to lift related sanctions, though he acknowledged legal and congressional hurdles remain, including assurances that F-35 technology would not reach Russia.

Elsewhere at the summit, NATO announced it will adopt the Swedish-made GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to replace aging early warning radar planes. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called this a boost to collective defense on social media. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance would commit to tens of billions of dollars in new defense contracts during the summit. Trump credited himself with strengthening NATO by pressing member nations to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP and said he now wants updates on each country's progress.

House Democrats have expressed opposition to readmitting Turkey into the F-35 program, citing that "nothing in the public record suggests Turkey has disposed of the S-400 system, removed it from operational service, or otherwise remediated the underlying concern that triggered sanctions in the first place," warning that such a move would conflict with statutory obligations.

The summit discussions also focus on commitments to defense spending and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Sources