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NATO Summit in Ankara: Billions in arms deals to appease a critical Trump
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Algeria /Conflict & Security

NATO Summit in Ankara: Billions in arms deals to appease a critical Trump

From El Watan · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • NATO leaders unveiled tens of billions of dollars in arms deals at a summit in Ankara, attempting to appease U.S. President Donald Trump's demands on military spending.
  • Trump expressed disappointment with NATO allies, particularly the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, for not sufficiently supporting U.S. actions against Iran.
  • The U.S. announced the lifting of sanctions on Turkey over its 2020 purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems, a significant gesture toward President Erdogan.

NATO leaders meeting in Ankara unveiled arms contracts worth tens of billions of dollars, an apparent effort to satisfy U.S. President Donald Trump's persistent demands for increased military spending from allies. However, Trump's demeanor suggested little appeasement, as he continued to voice criticism and threats, including remarks about Greenland and renewed critiques of his allies.

I have been very disappointed by NATO.

โ€” Donald TrumpTrump expressed his dissatisfaction with NATO's performance during the summit.

During a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump hinted that he might have boycotted the summit entirely if not for his relationship with the Turkish leader. He also did not rule out further withdrawals of U.S. troops from Europe. "I was very disappointed by NATO," Trump stated, specifically criticizing the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy for what he perceived as insufficient support for U.S. actions against Iran. He added that the allies had "not treated us well" and reiterated his lack of desire or need for their military assistance in that matter.

pointing to the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, accused of not having sufficiently supported the American action against Iran.

โ€” Donald TrumpTrump detailed his criticism of specific NATO allies regarding their support for U.S. operations.

While Trump was critical of several long-standing allies, he announced the lifting of sanctions imposed on Turkey in 2020 following Ankara's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems. This move signals a significant thaw in relations between the U.S. and Turkey, resolving a six-year dispute.

they had not treated us well.

โ€” Donald TrumpTrump voiced his sentiment about how NATO allies had treated the United States.

Prior to Trump's arrival, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had addressed a defense industry forum, highlighting a "spectacular" increase in European military spending and calling for an industrial revolution within the Alliance. Rutte cited growing expenditures by Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as reasons for this increased investment. European allies and Canada are reportedly now investing approximately 4% of their GDP in defense, aiming for the 5% target set at the Hague summit, with 3.5% dedicated to core military spending by 2035. The announced contracts, estimated at over $50 billion, include European purchases of surveillance drones and a significant deal for Swedish-made GlobalEye aircraft.

a spectacular increase in European military spending and calling for a real industrial revolution within the Alliance.

โ€” Mark RutteRutte described the need for increased defense investment and industrial adaptation within NATO.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Watan in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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