President Donald Trump announced the lifting of CAATSA sanctions on Turkey and a potential decision on F-35 fighter jet sales during the NATO summit in Ankara, crediting his personal friendship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his attendance [3][4][8]. Trump stated that the US would "take the sanctions off" and that the time had come, adding that he did not want to impose sanctions on friends [3][8]. Erdogan reciprocated by praising Trump as a man of his word and expressed hope for a positive decision on F-35 sales, noting Turkey had been promised five jets [8][12][31]. The summit also produced a UK-led announcement that twelve NATO countries will spend over 37 billion pounds on a new long-range Deep Precision Strike missile project capable of striking targets up to 1,250 miles away [2][7].

Trump framed his attendance through personal diplomacy with Erdogan, stating that he might not have come to the summit had it not been held in Turkey [3][4]. "I was very disappointed with NATO," Trump said, singling out Britain, France, Germany, and Italy for refusing to support the US strike on Iran [3][7]. Trump stated that the US was "testing people" to see whether allies would be there, and questioned why the US spends hundreds of billions of dollars on allies who are not there for it [3][7]. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had previously described allies' conduct as shameful and announced a reassessment of US relations with NATO [17]. Trump also threatened to withdraw all US soldiers from Europe [5][26].

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the potential F-35 and fighter engine sales to Turkey, arguing they would erode Israeli air superiority and disrupt the Middle East power balance [18][22]. Netanyahu accused Turkey of supporting Hamas, occupying half of Cyprus, and threatening Greece [18]. A Turkish columnist reported that Trump told Netanyahu "he knows who the boss is" [18].

European leaders presented the summit's procurement announcements as evidence of a stronger European pillar within NATO. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the missile project would "help bring European allies together to keep Nato safe for years to come" and that allies must deliver "a stronger, more European Nato" [2]. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Europe was building a more European NATO so that the alliance could remain transatlantic, and hoped a "spirit of Ankara" would mark a turning point in the Ukraine war [17]. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said EU member states were rearming to defend Europe and strengthen the alliance [3]. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called for a "trans-Atlantic defense industrial revolution," stating that "the hum of machinery must become a roar" [3][4]. Rutte announced defense industry contracts worth at least 50 billion dollars, including 40 billion dollars over five years for counter-drone capabilities, with European suppliers like Saab replacing Boeing for radar systems [14][25][27]. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler highlighted Turkey's domestic defense production capacity, and Defense Industry Agency President Haluk Gorgun announced five multinational agreements with Turkish firms as contractors for the alliance's future deterrence architecture [15].

Rutte sought to contain the political fallout from Trump's public dissatisfaction, stating that US disappointment with allies over Iran was limited to "isolated cases" [16]. German FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann advised Europe to become more self-reliant rather than reacting to every provocation from the US president [11]. Twelve European allies and Canada are preparing a new maritime patrol mission in the North Atlantic and Arctic to fill gaps left by the US [6].

Trump renewed his push for US control of Greenland, stating that it "should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark" and that Denmark does not spend money to help the territory while it is "surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships" [3][5][7]. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded that "Greenland is not for sale" and that she expected all allies to respect Denmark's sovereignty [3][5][23]. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated that the future of Greenland is "up to the people of Greenland and of Denmark, and not up to the US president" [7]. The Inuit Circumpolar Council rejected the framing of Greenland as a commodity, with Chair Sara Olsvig stating that "the Arctic is our homeland" and that Inuit "continue to reject the premise that our lands or peoples are commodities that can be bought or sold" [24]. ICC Vice Chair Hjalmar Dahl stated that Kalaallit have clearly said through their government and parliament that they do not want to become part of the US [24]. China's foreign ministry dismissed the "China threat" narrative invoked around Greenland as groundless and opposed using China as a pretext for Arctic militarization [30].

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ankara pressing for Patriot interceptor missile supplies, stating that "we badly need this; it is an urgent need" and hinting that non-US allies also possess such capabilities [10][3]. Zelensky questioned whether it was right to leave a country with Ukraine's defense capability outside NATO [13]. A Ukrainian outlet argued that the pledged 70 billion euros for Ukraine was money without missiles and that the real deficit was in air defense interceptors [21]. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that Slovakia would not contribute to a joint war fund for Ukraine [20]. Romanian officials argued that Romania was now central to alliance balance on the eastern flank and Black Sea, insisting that summit rhetoric on transatlantic solidarity must be backed by tangible action [32].

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia would monitor the summit and that pre-summit statements had been confrontational rather than constructive, insisting that Western weapons could not prevent Russia from achieving its objectives [2][19]. Russian officials framed their actions as lawful self-defense under Article 51 [20]. A Turkish analyst argued that Turkey's multidimensional diplomacy, not NATO unity, was what kept the NATO-Russia confrontation from turning nuclear [20]. Turkish state media emphasized Turkey's role as second-time summit host and its growing strategic importance to the alliance [1].

Turkish trade unionists and leftist groups protested the summit, with Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions chair Arzu Cerkezoglu stating: "We want more jobs, not more weapons. We want more schools, not more missiles. We want more hospitals, not more military spending" [29]. A German left-wing outlet argued that increased defense spending came at the direct expense of social welfare, pensions, and climate investment [28].

Trump stated he had spoken with both Putin and Zelensky about ending the Ukraine war and believed a result would be reached [4][8]. NATO leaders were expected to reach consensus on 70 billion euros in military assistance for Ukraine — variously reported as a 2026 commitment or as annual aid for 2026–2027 — though the US was not expected to participate in the financing [9][10][17].