He has reiterated again that Greenland ‘is an important part of the United States.’
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara to participate in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, where participants are expected to increase defense spending and support for Ukraine.
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The Republican leader was welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was then taken to the Bestepe Presidential Complex, where the two-day high-level meeting is being held.
Trump Is Considering Selling F-35 Fighter Jets to Türkiye
At a news conference held after a meeting with Erdogan, Trump confirmed that he is considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.
“We have a very good relationship. Why wouldn’t we do that? We have a better relationship with Türkiye, and Türkiye has been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries from which we expected loyalty,” the U.S. leader said.
“So it is certainly something we are considering. It’s a great aircraft; it’s the best, by far the best aircraft right now. And it is certainly something we will reconsider,” he added.
His remarks were somewhat surprising because the United States had ruled out selling F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye after the Eurasian country acquired the Russian S-400 missile defense system in 2019.
“During our discussions at this summit, we will positively assess the commitment we have received from him regarding the F-35 program going forward. Mr. Trump has always kept his word on this issue. I believe a favorable decision will also be made on the F-35 issue,” Erdogan said.
Trump reiterated his admiration for the Turkish leader, who has remained in power for nearly a quarter-century and has been accused of governing in an increasingly authoritarian manner.
“You never know why a relationship is special. Sometimes you get along with the strongest people, like him, and sometimes you don’t get along with the weaker and more pathetic people. But from the moment we met, we got along,” the U.S. president said, adding that he attended the Ankara summit only because of Erdogan’s insistence.
“I was very disappointed with NATO and, frankly, if (the summit) were not in Türkiye, where my friend is a very strong leader, I might not have attended,” Trump said, once again asserting that NATO allies did not help him during the war against Iran.
President Trump just announced the United States is REMOVING sanctions on Turkey.
Turkey and Qatar are the largest sponsors of the Muslim Brotherhood. pic.twitter.com/a80NcW1JTz
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 7, 2026
Trump Criticizes European Leaders
Trump again complained about the amount of money the U.S. is spending on NATO. His remarks were tied to criticism of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and France, countries that the Republican leader believes did not support the United States when it requested assistance during the war on Iran.
“In a way, I was testing people to see whether they would be there. We help them, but I’m not sure they would be there for us. Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars on them if they are not there for us afterward?” the U.S. president said.
Asked about his opinion of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Trump said she is “a good person” but that she made a mistake regarding Iran that damaged their relationship. “She wasn’t there for us, and that didn’t make me very happy,” he said.
Greenland Should Be Controlled by the United States
On Tuesday, Trump renewed his push regarding Greenland, saying it should be controlled by the United States rather than Denmark.
“That’s what damaged my relationship with NATO, because Greenland doesn’t help Denmark. Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland,” he said.
Greenland “is an important part of the United States and is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships,” Trump said, linking his desire to acquire Greenland to another round of criticism of his European allies.
“With all the money we spend helping them against Russia, when in fact we don’t have to spend anything because we could withdraw all our soldiers from Europe, because… Europe is a very different place from what it was 20 years ago, very different,” he said.
Europe “had better be careful about immigration and energy because, if they are not careful with those two things, there will no longer be a Europe,” Trump added.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: EFE – Xinhua
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