US President Donald Trump and NATO allies were set to begin the main session of a summit in Ankara on Wednesday after a pomp-filled welcome in the Turkish capital, where alliance leaders appeared eager to avoid a confrontation with the US president.
Trump was effusive in his praise for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after landing in Ankara, highlighting their “chemistry” in remarks that contrasted sharply with his criticism of European allies over their response to the recent US war with Iran.
“I was very disappointed with NATO,” Trump repeated, setting the tone for the summit’s main gathering, where the alliance’s 31 other leaders were due to meet him face-to-face at 0815 GMT.
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The summit comes at a fraught time for the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance, with Trump demanding that members follow through on pledges to sharply increase defense spending as Washington takes a step back from Europe.
On the eve of the key session, NATO released figures showing that core defense spending by European allies had risen by 11 percent in 2026 and would reach $634 billion, up from $571 billion a year earlier.
Keen to avoid a new confrontation with Trump, NATO allies announced tens of billions of dollars in new arms contracts on Tuesday in an effort to show they were making good on their spending commitments.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said European allies were “delivering” by increasing military budgets and taking more responsibility for the defense of the continent in the face of Russia.
Russia, Ukraine ‘want deal’
While NATO wants to keep Trump’s attention on rising defense budgets, stalled efforts to end the war in Ukraine are also back on the agenda.
“I think they both want to make a deal,” Trump said of Russia and Ukraine, ahead of expected talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday.
With negotiations at an impasse, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin before flying to Turkey and was expected to “follow up” with him after meeting Zelensky, a US official said.
Europe and Canada are set to pledge continued military support for Ukraine worth 70 billion euros ($80 billion) a year in both 2026 and 2027.
Zelensky urged a NATO defense forum on Tuesday to step up help for Ukraine’s air defenses, saying Kyiv was struggling with shortages of crucial interceptors. He also renewed his call for Ukraine to join the alliance.
Trump is also expected to hold talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as Damascus seeks to rebuild its international image after years of civil war.
The planned meeting comes a day after the Syrian leader hosted French President Emmanuel Macron for a landmark state visit that was overshadowed by twin bomb attacks in Damascus that wounded 18 people.
‘No sanctions for friends’
Although Trump appeared irritated by restrictions some allies placed on US forces using bases at the start of the Iran conflict, he brought welcome news for Erdoğan, saying Washington would consider selling Turkey F-35 fighter jets and lifting sanctions imposed over Ankara’s purchase of a Russian missile defense system.
Turkey was removed from the US-led F-35 program in 2019 after buying Russia’s S-400 air defense system, which Washington said could compromise the advanced fighter jet’s technology.
Ankara has long sought to return to the program and secure the lifting of US sanctions, which have strained ties and complicated Turkish defense projects.
“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off,” Trump said at Erdoğan’s marble-clad presidential palace. “We don’t want to sanction friends.”
Sitting next to him, Erdoğan said he was confident Trump would end the dispute.