Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
US President Donald Trump said at a NATO summit on Wednesday that Washington will allow Ukraine to make Patriot air defence systems under licence, a move Kyiv has long sought as it faces continued missile attacks from Russia in a war now running for more than four years. Trump also said the US would “work on some kind of security package” for Ukraine, while NATO leaders pledged USD 80 billion to help meet the country’s defence needs this year and next.
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The summit also saw Trump shift from sharp criticism of some allies to a more positive tone by the end of the day, as NATO members highlighted higher defence spending. Alongside that, the Trump administration announced plans to remove Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, while NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte backed the latest US strikes on Iran and urged Trump to take credit for allied spending increases.
Meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ankara, Trump struck a notably warmer tone than in earlier encounters. “We’ve actually developed a good relationship. It’s hard to believe,” Trump said, adding that he believed an agreement to end the war could be near. He said Zelenskyy had “done an amazing job” and been “very effective” in the war. Trump then announced a major shift in US policy on Patriots, saying, “We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it. I think they can produce them pretty quickly.” Patriots are costly, in high demand and take time to produce, and Zelenskyy has for years sought more of them as well as a production licence for Ukraine.
Before the more conciliatory exchanges, Trump had reopened old disputes within the alliance. He again said the US should control Greenland, drawing a response from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said Denmark was “ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory”. Trump also criticised European countries that did not take part in the Iran campaign, called Spain “a terrible partner in NATO” and renewed threats to cut off trade.
Rutte, who has worked to keep Trump engaged with the alliance, praised the US strikes on Iran after Tehran hit three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. “I think what you did last night was absolutely necessary,” Rutte told Trump. “It was a very strong response, and I’m with you on this.” The US also revoked a licence that had allowed Iran to sell oil on global markets, underlining the fragility of an interim agreement meant to end months of fighting. Trump said of that deal, “For me, I think it’s over”, though he added that talks could continue. “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” he said.
NATO leaders used the summit to show Trump that they were increasing defence spending as the US reduces its troop presence in Europe and presses the continent to take more responsibility for its own security. Rutte told Trump, “Grab the win. It’s there,” while pointing to higher spending by countries including Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Denmark. He also noted that Washington wants European allies and Canada to match US levels of spending. At last year’s summit, allies agreed to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence, with 3.5 per cent for defence budgets and 1.5 per cent for infrastructure to move troops and equipment faster. But figures released by NATO on Tuesday showed Slovenia, Belgium, Spain and the Czech Republic were still struggling to meet the alliance’s previous 2 per cent target. The Pentagon has also started a six-month review of the US military presence in Europe, leaving allies waiting to see how far Trump may cut troop numbers.
Zelenskyy separately renewed his call for Ukraine to join NATO, saying its armed forces were highly experienced and would strengthen the alliance’s defence capabilities, a step Russia strongly opposes. He pointed to Ukraine’s ability to adapt and strike deep inside Russia, and said Ukrainian forces were “eliminating” an average of 30,000 Russian troops every month. In their declaration after the summit, NATO leaders said Russia posed a “long-term threat” to Euro-Atlantic security. Some countries near Russia have also grown concerned that Moscow could be preparing hybrid attacks combining conventional military action with methods such as cyberattacks.
Trump also met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former insurgent leader whose offensive unseated Bashar Assad in December 2024. Later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had told lawmakers that the US would soon remove Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a year-long normalisation process with the new government. “Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people,” Rubio said. Trump had already signed an executive order in June 2025 ending several economic sanctions. However, sanctions under the Caesar Act, which target those doing business with or supporting Syria’s military, intelligence or other suspect institutions, remain in place and can be removed only through legislation.
The summit brought together several strands of Trump’s foreign policy at once: support for Ukraine through Patriot production, pressure on NATO allies to spend more, backing for military action against Iran, and a fresh step towards normalising ties with Syria. Despite tensions over Greenland, Iran and burden-sharing, the meeting ended with Trump praising allied unity and progress on defence spending.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
