Trump Drops Turkey Sanctions, Eyes F-35 Sale in Shock NATO Summit Pivot
President Donald Trump announced he will lift sanctions on Turkey and is considering selling F-35 fighter jets to the country, marking a dramatic shift in U.S. policy that could reshape NATO's internal dynamics.
During a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump confirmed the United States will remove penalties imposed after Turkey purchased a Russian missile defense system [191297]. The president also stated he is considering restoring Turkey’s access to the F-35 stealth fighter, a program from which Turkey was removed over concerns that sharing the technology with a nation operating Russian equipment could compromise Western defense systems [191297][190869]. No final decision on the sale has been made [191297].
The announcement comes as Trump arrived in Turkey for a NATO summit marked by deep tensions within the alliance [191214]. The president has been frustrated with allies who refused to provide military bases and overflight rights for Operation Epic Fury against Iran, and has repeatedly demanded that NATO members increase defense spending to 5% of GDP [190834][191039]. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on allies to present “clear, concrete and credible plans” to meet the spending target, warning that Trump “fully expects that all allies will step up immediately” [191039].
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also arrived in Ankara for the summit, seeking interceptor missiles and drone agreements as his country faces intense Russian strikes on its cities [190913][190660]. The summit brings together all 32 member states at a critical time, with European leaders scrambling to boost defenses amid concerns over reduced U.S. commitment to the alliance [190941][190964].