President Donald Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where he discussed various topics, including defense and Iran. Initially, the mood was tense, with Trump expressing grievances about the defense alliance and Iran.
Trump’s Complaints
Trump complained that the countries represented at the conference hadn’t backed him up against Iran. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the agreement with Tehran, which he signed three weeks ago. However, he did not threaten to withdraw the US from NATO entirely.
Despite initial tensions, Trump appeared impressed when leaders described their own attempts at investing more in defense. NATO chief Mark Rutte attributed this to Trump’s years-long pressure on allies to step up.
Trump’s Praise for Turkey
Trump praised Turkey’s infrastructure, including its airport and roads. He also signaled that he planned to allow Turkey back into a program for buying F-35 fighter jets, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been seeking.
The summit was seen as a master class in managing a mercurial president and minimizing damage. Trump’s presence in Ankara was marked by a mix of tension and praise, with the president receiving lavish praise from the leaders.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
