U.S. President Donald Trump hailed his "chemistry" with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he arrived in Ankara for Tuesday's NATO summit, using the occasion to renew his criticism of European allies over their handling of the conflict with Iran.
Erdoğan personally welcomed Trump on the tarmac as the U.S. president stepped off Air Force One before leading a ceremonial motorcade through the largely empty streets of the Turkish capital, accompanied by an honor guard of riders on white horses.
The summit comes at a tense moment for the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance, with Trump repeatedly criticizing NATO allies and signaling a reduced U.S. commitment to European security.
"I was very disappointed with NATO," Trump said during talks alongside Erdoğan at the Turkish president's sprawling palace.
"Frankly, if the summit weren't being held in Türkiye, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it's possible that I wouldn't have attended."
NATO officials hope Trump's close personal relationship with Erdoğan will help ease tensions within the alliance and create a more constructive atmosphere following divisions over the Iran conflict.
"It's a chemistry that works between us," Trump said.
In a potentially major boost for Erdoğan, Trump said Washington would consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye after removing the country from the program in 2019 over Ankara's purchase of a Russian missile defense system.
Türkiye has long sought to secure readmission to the F-35 program and the lifting of U.S. sanctions that have strained ties and hampered Turkish defense projects. Ankara has looked to Trump's visit to break the deadlock.
"Mr. Trump has also personally given us his word on this matter," Erdoğan said through a translator.
European leaders are aiming to avoid a bust-up with the mercurial U.S. leader that could deal another blow to NATO's credibility after Trump repeatedly cast doubt on Washington's commitment to protecting its allies.
But ahead of their main session on Wednesday, the U.S. president was clearly still smarting over restrictions some allies placed on U.S. forces using bases at the start of the Iran conflict.
"I was testing to see whether or not they'd be there, because I've long said that we helped them," he said.
"Italy turned us down, and Germany turned us down, and France turned us down."
Trump also risked reopening another old wound within NATO when he reiterated his stance that Greenland "should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark."
In a bid to prove to Trump that they are making good on a pledge made last year to ramp up defense spending, NATO allies unveiled tens of billions of dollars in arms deals ahead of his arrival.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte insisted European countries are "delivering" by bolstering military budgets and taking greater responsibility for the defense of the continent in the face of Russia.
"These are billions that are invested in our security, boosting our economies and supporting hundreds of thousands of new jobs," Rutte said at a glitzy industry forum.
While NATO wanted to focus Trump's attention on surging defense budgets, stalled U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine also returned to the forefront.
Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the NATO gathering and is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit Wednesday.
"I think they both want to make a deal," Trump said.
"It's too bad it took so long, but I think something's going to come out."
Zelenskyy, for his part, urged NATO to step up support for Ukraine's air defenses as the country struggles with shortages of crucial interceptors needed to shoot down Russian missiles.
"Please let more determination and more decisions for air defense be one of the key outcomes of this NATO summit," he said.
The Ukrainian leader also renewed his push for Kyiv to join the alliance, despite Trump previously shutting the door on the idea.
"Do you really believe it would be right to live outside NATO, a country and a people with this level of defensive capability?" Zelenskyy said.
"Ukraine in NATO is a source of extraordinary defensive capability."
