Trump once again claims Greenland as NATO unveils military projects worth billions to demonstrate its firepower

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Donald Trump insisted Tuesday that the United States should be in control of Greenland rather than NATO ally Denmark, renewing tensions in Europe even as the trans-Atlantic military alliance announced billions of dollars in arms deals at a summit in a bid to appease the mercurial American leader.

Trump described the semi-autonomous island as an “important part” of the United States, repeated the false claim that the island is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships, and said he would not allow Greenland to be threatened.

He watches: Can NATO allies deliver on their promises to increase military spending?

“This should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

NATO was founded on the principle that its 32 members would defend each other’s territory, not threaten to seize it. At the summit, European countries and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were already working overtime to address another old Trump complaint: that European allies are not spending enough on their own defense.

Separately, Trump announced that the United States would lift sanctions on Turkey that were issued after Ankara purchased a Russian missile defense system that led to the country’s expulsion from the F-35 fighter jet program — a nod to his warming relations with summit host Erdogan.

Trump cites Erdogan’s ‘chemistry’ as he raises hurdle for F-35s

Turkey’s 2019 purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems sparked years of tensions, despite the warm personal relationship between Trump and Erdogan dating back to the US president’s first term.

Legal hurdles remain before Turkey is allowed to fully return to the US F-35 program, but removing sanctions issued under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would help ease that process. Restoring access to the F-35 is Erdogan’s ultimate goal.

“We’ll lift the sanctions, okay?” Trump said in response to a question that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are working on this issue.

Trump said that the possibility of selling F-35s to Turkey is “something we will certainly consider” given the relationship between the two countries, and that “Turkey has been, in many respects, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal.”

Erdogan expressed his hope that the United States would sell F-35 aircraft, saying that the American president always sticks to his word.

Trump and Erdogan showed their love for each other. Erdogan received Trump with an elaborate ceremony that included military officials on horseback and planes flying in the sky emitting red, white and blue smoke.

In response to a question about what makes their relationship so strong, Trump said that there is “chemistry that works between us,” adding, “Sometimes you get along with the most difficult people, like him.”

Türkiye’s acquisition of US F-35 jets could complicate relations elsewhere. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he urged Trump not to sell fighter jets to Turkey, saying that would put Israel at risk.

“This is not a force for peace and stability,” Netanyahu told CNN. “When you give them that power, you’ll see aggression in its wake.”

There is also opposition among US lawmakers to Türkiye having F-35s as long as the Russian missile defense system remains in its possession. Even if sanctions are lifted, the Trump administration still faces restrictions under US law that prevent Türkiye from being able to purchase fighter jets if it possesses S-400 systems.

NATO has a ‘very proud moment’ in defence

Earlier in the day, NATO showcased military projects worth billions of dollars — an investment that Rutte described as “money well spent” and clearly aimed at trying to please Trump.

Rutte was speaking to government ministers and defense industry officials at a forum described as NATO’s “big reveal” set to techno music.

Read more: What do you know about the NATO summit in Türkiye?

NATO does not have weapons — they belong to member states — but it does have 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance aircraft that are about 50 years old, along with newer reconnaissance drones.

A deal to replace the old planes was announced on Tuesday. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that the Swedish company Saab will supply up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to a consortium of 10 countries.

“It’s a very proud moment,” he said.

Some projects will be financed with money from the European Union’s system of cheap loans for defense purposes, which includes up to $170 billion raised from capital markets.

Representatives of 15 countries announced a multinational effort to purchase refueling and airlift aircraft from Airbus. Rutte then announced efforts by four countries to purchase up to five new Triton reconnaissance drones.

Rutte had told reporters on the eve of the two-day summit, “We will announce new contracts worth tens of billions.” However, at Tuesday’s event, no dollar figures were provided and the presentation included some projects that had long been agreed upon.

Ukrainian President Zelensky calls for joining NATO

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a new appeal to allow his country to join the alliance, saying that his country’s armed forces are highly experienced and will enhance NATO’s defense capabilities.

He highlighted Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russia and strike oil refineries and other energy targets. He said that the Ukrainian armed forces “eliminate” an average of 30,000 Russian soldiers every month. He is scheduled to meet with Trump on Wednesday in Ankara.

“Frankly, we are not proud of it,” Zelensky said, noting that the war with Russia – which is now in its fifth year – is a war that “we did not seek, but it is a war that we were forced to fight.”

Concerns are rising among some European countries that Russia may be preparing a hybrid attack — a mix of conventional warfare and tactics such as cyberattacks — on the continent as Russian President Vladimir Putin struggles to secure victory in Ukraine.

However, a senior NATO official, speaking on the sidelines of the summit, said that despite some “reckless” actions by Russia, including violations of airspace over Poland, Romania and Estonia, the alliance had succeeded in deterring Moscow from any potential attack on a member state. The official insisted on not revealing his identity to inform journalists.

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Andy Wilkes in Istanbul and Michelle L. Price and Colleen Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.