US President Donald Trump concluded his participation in the NATO Summit in Ankara by holding a press conference. The American president opened his remarks by praising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for the way they organized the summit. “I want to thank President Erdoğan for his hospitality and Mark Rutte for the outstanding job he did. It was a great summit,” Trump said in his opening statement.
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Trump also stated that he has not yet made a final decision on the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, while praising Ankara’s stance during the war with Iran. “We have an excellent relationship. We’re talking about the F-35 fighters. It’s the best aircraft and everyone wants it. We have to decide who we’re going to give it to,” the American president said at the press conference following the conclusion of the NATO Summit in Ankara.
He went on to say: “My inclination is that he himself is not a big supporter of ‘Bibi,’ or of Israel, but he stayed out of this war. He could very easily have gotten involved, but he didn’t. At my request, he stayed out of the conflict.”
Trump at the NATO summit: “We have a very strong relationship with Turkey”
“He has been a very good ally. Marco Rubio can confirm that. We have a very strong relationship with Turkey. It is a very large country with strong military capabilities. It is the second most powerful country in NATO and is an ally of the Alliance,” Trump emphasized.
“Whether we ultimately go ahead with this, I haven’t decided yet definitively. However, my inclination is to say that he has done everything we’ve asked of him and has helped us in many different ways,” he added, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Donald Trump noted that Rutte managed to handle “many leaders with strong personalities,” while describing the leaders of the other NATO member states as “very smart people with a lot of kindness in their hearts.” He also insisted that the meetings were filled with “tremendous love,” painting a picture of unity among allies. “It’s love, really, for the country, for our country,” he said. “I don’t want to say for me, because you’ll say: ‘Oh, he’s so arrogant.'” He added: “But that’s how it is. And you know they like the job I’m doing.”
Trump on Iran: “Everything has been destroyed — their leaders have been killed”
Commenting on Iran, Donald Trump claimed that American strikes had almost completely destroyed its military capabilities. “They had hundreds of aircraft and now they’re all gone. They were burned on the runways. They have been completely decimated. Their radar has been destroyed. Everything has been destroyed. Their leaders have been killed. Their war capabilities are now very limited. They have only a small percentage of missiles left and very few launchers, most of which have also been destroyed,” he said.
The American president also asserted that the United States possesses “by far the most powerful military in the world.”
“The US is NATO’s biggest contributor”
Turning to NATO, Trump said that last year’s summit in The Hague produced an “unprecedented” agreement to increase defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP. “Everyone said it was impossible. Now everyone is thanking me and most countries have agreed. There are one or two that haven’t done it yet, but I have a feeling they will very soon. Today they were particularly positive. In fact, one country that I didn’t consider a good team player turned out to be an excellent team player today,” he said.
Trump reiterated that the US remains “NATO’s biggest contributor and has the most powerful military in the world,” adding that “two years ago everyone was laughing at us. NATO was laughing at us. Now nobody’s laughing.”
He also announced that the US invested a record $1 trillion in its armed forces this year and that he will seek to increase the budget to $1.5 trillion in order to continue supplying “the best military equipment in the world.”
Donald Trump said NATO allies are making significant progress toward the 5% GDP defense spending target, asserting that all countries will ultimately meet their commitment. “In today’s session we discussed the progress member states are making toward the 5% target and they are making great progress. Many of these countries are very wealthy. We don’t need to feel sorry for them. Some have already truly delivered and others are making big changes. I believe all of them will come through,” he said.
“Everyone wants American equipment”
The American president argued that, thanks to last year’s agreement, allied defense spending increased by nearly $150 billion in 2025, adding that a large portion of that money is being directed toward the purchase of American weapons systems.
“Everyone wants American equipment. The Patriots, the Tomahawks, and all our systems are considered the best in the world. I’d like us to produce them faster, because we could sell everything we make,” he said.
US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that $19.2 trillion is “flowing into” the United States, citing new factories, equipment, and industrial projects being built across the country. Speaking at the press conference, Trump said that companies — including automakers and defense manufacturers — are expanding their production within the US.
According to Trump, a large portion of that capital will go toward American-made weapons, ammunition, and military equipment, as NATO allies increase their defense spending and seek to procure more American weapons systems.
“I’m not sure I want a deal with the Iranian leaders”
When asked why the war with Iran appears to have reached a “strategic stalemate,” US President Donald Trump rejected the characterization, insisting it had been “a tremendous military success.” “The war with Iran was a tremendous military success. They want to make a deal, but they don’t know how to make a deal,” he said. “I think they’re a little crazy,” he added, referring to the Iranian leadership.
The American president then stated that he considers himself Iran’s “number one target,” strongly implying that his life is in danger. “Their leaders are gone. They have new leadership. That could be gone too. And you know what? I could be gone too, because I’m their number one target. They say it all over the place. I’m their number one target because they’re scum,” Trump said.
Donald Trump said he has changed his mind about the Iranian leaders, stating that he initially considered them “reasonable” but revised his view as he got to know them better. He also noted that the current Iranian leadership is “more rational,” though he stopped short of expressing certainty that he wants a deal with Tehran. “I’m not sure I want to make a deal with the Iranian leaders,” he said, adding that in his view the conflict “will end very quickly.”
