Trump Rips Nato Allies, Dashing European Hopes For A Kumbaya Summit

ANKARA, Turkey — President Donald Trump lashed out at NATO on Tuesday, spoiling the feel-good mood at an alliance summit and reminding allies that he’s not letting go of his grievances. 

But while Trump rehashed several of his complaints with NATO — including their unwillingness to join the U.S. and Israel in their fight against Iran — he did offer praise for host nation Turkey, again dangling the possibility Ankara would be able to buy sophisticated jet fighters from Washington.

Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara at the start of a whirlwind 48 hours at the summit, Trump said he "was very disappointed with NATO" and again ripped the alliance for not acknowledging American largesse.

"Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and they're not there for us?” Trump said. “We've always been there for them.”

European officials gathered here in the Turkish capital hoping that the U.S. president would arrive in a good mood, and they had spent the weeks leading up to the event touting their commitments to increased defense spending and plans to buy American weapons. But Trump dashed those hopes, reiterating his desire for an American takeover of Greenland and lambasting Europe for its energy and immigration policies, among other criticisms.

And ahead of his planned meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, Trump declared the fighting between Kyiv and Moscow “doesn’t affect us,” an ominous declaration for a country that remains under siege.

NATO leaders are seeking more clarity from Trump and his possible plans to draw down troops in Europe. Asked whether he would announce such moves at the summit, Trump said, “We’re going to see.”

“I was very disappointed with NATO, and frankly, if it weren't held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it's possible that I wouldn't have attended,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, Trump was full of praise for Erdoğan, even as the Turkish president remains a source of friction across much of the alliance. Trump's team has sought ahead of the summit to figure out how Washington would be able to sell F-35s to Turkey once again after booting Ankara from the program in 2020 following its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense.

“Many people, including the people sitting right here, think why wouldn't we do that?” Trump said, speaking alongside Erdoğan in an ornate room at the Bestepe Presidential Complex. “We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal.”

Congress has passed legislation barring the sale of F-35s to Turkey so long as it has or operates the S-400s. One option gaining favor to resume the sales is sending the S-400 to a third country, said a person familiar with the matter, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy. Russia would likely have to sign off on any moves.

Ahead of the summit, the U.S. also said it would sell Turkey $700 million in American-made advanced engines.

Trump also reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, even as NATO members hoped to avoid the topic while the U.S. and Denmark are holding quiet diplomatic talks on the issue.

“Well, that's what hurt my relationship with NATO, because Greenland doesn't help Denmark,” he said. “That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark.”

Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy ahead of the summit and said he thought the leaders wanted to make a deal.

"I think they both want to make a deal, it's too bad it took so long … I settled eight wars, and I think we're going to be settling a ninth,” he said, repeating a talking point about a range of conflicts that mostly remain unresolved.

More broadly, Trump criticized Europe and its energy and immigration policies, long a source of tension.

“If they're not careful with those two things, you're not going to have a Europe anymore,” he said.

Turkey took substantial security measures ahead of this week’s meetings, closing roads all around the city, opening a new airport for delegations to use and naming a building after Trump.

The moves delighted the U.S. president, who said Erdoğan “has done an incredible job.”

“The airport is absolutely beautiful. The roads coming in were brand new and beautiful, and you've been a great leader and a respected leader all over the world,” Trump said.