After a summit start marked by harsh criticism of allies, the U.S. president ended his visit to Turkey on a surprisingly upbeat note. Amid promises of unity and praise for defense investments, Donald Trump floated a proposal that could radically change the dynamics of the war: permission for Ukraine to produce its own Patriot air defense systems.
From withdrawal threats to „tremendous love”
The end of the NATO summit in Ankara offered a sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s opening statements. While the American leader had earlier revisited the theme of controlling Greenland, criticized the Spanish government, and threatened to pull U.S. troops out of Europe, the concluding remarks were presented in a positive light. Trump praised the „unification” of the alliance, describing the working atmosphere as one dominated by „very smart people” with „a lot of good in their heart.”
The American president expressed satisfaction with the progress made by member states toward reaching the 5% GDP defense spending target by 2035. However, he emphasized that these massive investments should support the U.S. economy, arguing that European leaders prefer American equipment because it „works better” and because they want deliveries „in a week,” not in several years.
Multi-billion dollar contracts and high-tech equipment for allies
On the sidelines of the summit, NATO leaders announced $3 billion in new deals with U.S. weapons producers. Among the most significant acquisitions is the United Kingdom’s plan to spend $254 million on Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program.
Additionally, Denmark announced plans to acquire two Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft, while NATO allies will jointly acquire up to five MQ-4C Tritons produced by Northrop Grumman. These moves confirm the trend of strengthening the Alliance’s technological capabilities through direct overseas procurement.
An unexpected solution for Kyiv: „Make the Patriots yourselves”
The biggest surprise came late in the day during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Donald Trump floated the idea of providing Ukraine with the „license” needed to locally produce the Patriot air defense system. This proposal comes as Kyiv has rapidly depleted its supply of interceptors and has consistently made public pleas for more units from Western allies.
„We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool,” Trump told Zelenskyy, adding that this way, Ukraine can no longer complain about insufficient supplies. Although the American companies that produce the system’s components, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, have either not yet provided an official viewpoint or declined to comment, the American president suggested that the details would work out, even though the manufacturers had not yet been officially informed of the plan.
