WASHINGTON — Following sharp criticisms of NATO members earlier in the day, President Donald Trump concluded his visit to Ankara with renewed optimism about the alliance and Ukraine’s potential to manufacture Patriot air defense systems independently.
Addressing journalists at the NATO Leaders Summit, Trump highlighted the alliance’s progress toward unity, emphasizing cooperation over conflict. “There was tremendous support in that room,” he stated, commending members’ efforts to increase defense budgets to 5 percent of GDP by 2035, which he noted should also bolster the U.S. economy through accelerated weapons production.
Trump acknowledged the challenges of meeting pent-up demand for U.S. military equipment, stating allies wanted systems “in a week, not years,” and outlined U.S. efforts to expedite production. The summit also saw $3 billion in new defense agreements, including UK investments in Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program, Denmark acquiring Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft, and joint purchases of Northrop Grumman MQ-4C drones.
In a notable development, Trump floated the idea of granting Ukraine a license to produce Patriot systems during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While specifics remain undisclosed, Zelenskyy has long requested additional Patriot interceptors to counter Russian attacks. Lock Martin and Raytheon, the primary manufacturers, did not provide immediate details on the proposal.
Valerie Insinna contributed to this report.
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