World
Trump says he is "disappointed" with NATO allies on Ankara summit sidelines
Answering journalists' questions before a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex, Trump sharply criticised European allies.
U.S. President Donald Trump. (AFP photo)
By: Xinhua News Agency, Journalist @New Vision
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was disappointed with NATO allies regarding the conflict in Iran as he arrived in Ankara, capital of Türkiye, for the alliance's summit.
Answering journalists' questions before a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex, Trump sharply criticised European allies.
Stating that Italy, France, and Germany "let us down," Trump asked, "So why are we spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they didn't come to our aid?"
Erdogan said during the meeting that Türkiye was making every effort to stabilise Iran-U.S. relations.
The reluctance of European countries to send warships to support U.S. efforts to "reopen" the Strait of Hormuz had prompted criticism from Trump, who harshly accused European allies of benefiting from U.S. security guarantees while refusing to offer help in the Iran war.
NATO summit opens in Ankara as new defence deals fuel militarisation concerns
The NATO leaders' summit opened in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Tuesday with a Defence Industry Forum, unveiling major defence industry initiatives aimed at accelerating weapons production and procurement, amid growing concerns over the alliance's expanding militarisation.
Marking its first inclusion in a NATO summit, the forum brought together senior NATO officials and representatives from major Western defence companies to discuss efforts to integrate military supply chains across member states.
At the event, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte launched the Drone Edge Initiative aimed at strengthening counter-drone capabilities, saying member states would commit more than 40 billion U.S. dollars to the sector over the next five years.
NATO summit opens in Ankara as new defence deals fuel militarisation concerns
The NATO leaders' summit opened in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Tuesday with a Defence Industry Forum, unveiling major defence industry initiatives aimed at accelerating weapons production and procurement, amid growing concerns over the alliance's expanding militarisation.
Marking its first inclusion in a NATO summit, the forum brought together senior NATO officials and representatives from major Western defence companies to discuss efforts to integrate military supply chains across member states.
At the event, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte launched the Drone Edge Initiative aimed at strengthening counter-drone capabilities, saying member states would commit more than 40 billion U.S. dollars to the sector over the next five years.
He also unveiled a new Front Door platform designed to facilitate private defence companies' access to alliance contracts, and a 2.8-billion-dollar industrial cooperation initiative under which U.S. defence companies, including Lockheed Martin, could partner with European firms to produce U.S.-designed weapons, such as Abrams tanks and ATACMS missiles, in Europe.
As part of broader efforts to expand logistical and operational capacity, several allies, including Türkiye, launched new joint procurement initiatives to enlarge NATO's fleets of strategic transport and aerial refueling aircraft.
Türkiye also announced plans to contribute two domestically-produced observation satellites to support NATO's space capabilities.
The latest initiatives come as Rutte continues to press allies to raise defence spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035, amid calls from Washington for European members to shoulder a greater share of the alliance's defence responsibilities.
The push has triggered strong public opposition in the host country. On Tuesday, anti-NATO rallies were held in Ankara, where students, socialist groups and lawmakers gathered to protest the alliance's expanding defence budgets.
A broader wave of protests took place over the weekend, when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir to denounce NATO's pressure to prioritise military spending over public welfare.
As part of broader efforts to expand logistical and operational capacity, several allies, including Türkiye, launched new joint procurement initiatives to enlarge NATO's fleets of strategic transport and aerial refueling aircraft.
Türkiye also announced plans to contribute two domestically-produced observation satellites to support NATO's space capabilities.
The latest initiatives come as Rutte continues to press allies to raise defence spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035, amid calls from Washington for European members to shoulder a greater share of the alliance's defence responsibilities.
The push has triggered strong public opposition in the host country. On Tuesday, anti-NATO rallies were held in Ankara, where students, socialist groups and lawmakers gathered to protest the alliance's expanding defence budgets.
A broader wave of protests took place over the weekend, when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir to denounce NATO's pressure to prioritise military spending over public welfare.