Trump Meets Erdogan As He Lands For NATO Summit, Alliance Unveils Billion-Dollar Arms Push – WATCH

US President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit and was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday arrived in Ankara for the much-buzzed NATO summit and was welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump is also expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines, signalling a packed diplomatic agenda as the alliance navigates multiple geopolitical flashpoints.

Trump arrives in Ankara

Ahead of Trump’s arrival, NATO on Tuesday showcased a series of military projects worth billions of dollars in an attempt to persuade President Donald Trump that US allies are converting fresh defense spending into real firepower.

“It’s money well spent,” an energised NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told government ministers and defence industry officials on the sidelines of a summit in Turkey. He was speaking at a defence industry forum billed as NATO’s “big reveal,” to the thrum of techno music and a slick video display.

Trump has branded NATO a “paper tiger” that would cease to function without American arms and leadership.

US President Donald Trump is greeted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

NATO as an organisation does not own any weapons — these are the property of the 32 member countries — but it does have a fleet of 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes that are about 50 years old, along with some newer surveillance drones.

Earlier, Rutte had tried to ease US concerns about military spending at NATO with a new pitch using a chart labelled “The Trump Trillion” — showing $1.2 trillion in spending by European allies and Canada since 2017.

Far from being impressed, Trump appeared unmoved, saying he was still disappointed at some NATO allies’ refusal to join the Iran war, which he had launched alongside Israel without consulting them. “We don’t need their money — we don’t need anything,” Trump said, adding, “I just want loyalty.”

(With inputs from AP)

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