President Donald Trump said at a NATO summit Wednesday in Turkiye that the US will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defence systems to counter missile attacks from Russia in their more than four-year war, a huge coup for Kyiv which has long requested the technology.
Allowing foreign manufacture of Patriots, which the US had resisted, was a turnaround for Trump that mirrored his day at the NATO meeting: Upon arriving, he lashed out at European partners for resisting his efforts to take control of Greenland and for not supporting his war in Iran. But by day's end, he described a gathering of unity and “tremendous love," and praised member nations on their progress in increasing their defence spending.
Separately, the Trump administration also announced plans to rescind Syria's terrorism designation, in a key move toward lifting sanctions on the country.
NATO's European members plus Canada have scrambled to meet the alliance's increased defence spending targets, which Trump has demanded as the US draws down troops in Europe and insists the continent take more responsibility for its own security.
Trump had reopened old wounds among the 32 NATO leaders by insisting again ahead of the summit that the US should control Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory. That led Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to say her country is “ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory.”
Trump also blasted some European countries for refusing to participate in the Iran campaign, singling out Spain as “a terrible partner in NATO” and renewing his threats to cut off trade.
Trump strikes a positive tone on Zelenskyy
But the tone of Trump's meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a break from earlier encounters which ended in acrimony, and Trump praised the Ukrainian leader's willingness to reach a deal on ending the fighting in Ukraine.
“We've actually developed a good relationship. It's hard to believe,” Trump said during a news conference with Zelenskyy, adding that he believed a deal on ending the war was on the horizon and that the US would “work on some kind of security package” to provide to Ukraine.
Trump said the Ukrainian president has “done an amazing job” and “been very effective” in the war as he pledged to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture the Patriot defence systems.
“We'll give them the right to make Patriots. We'll show them how to do it,” Trump said. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly.”
Patriots are expensive, in high demand and take a long time to produce. Zelenskyy has for years been asking for more of them, and more recently for a license so that Ukraine can manufacture its own.
NATO chief backs latest US strikes on Iran
Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Trump for the series of US strikes on Iran overnight, after Tehran struck three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think what you did last night was absolutely necessary,” Rutte said to Trump. “It was a very strong response, and I'm with you on this.”
The US strikes, as well as the revoking of a license allowing Iran to sell its oil on global markets, underscored the fragility of an interim deal to end months of fighting.
Trump said of the interim agreement with Iran: “For me, I think it's over” — but added he will allow talks to continue.
“It's just a waste of time dealing with them,” he said.
