Trump pushes F-35 revival at NATO summit with Turkey
Trump pushed to revive Turkey’s frozen $6 billion F-35 deal during the NATO summit, despite Turkey buying Russia’s S-400 missile system. Turkey’s strategic position and dealings with Russia threaten N
President Donald Trump landed in Ankara Tuesday with full military honors—jets streaking overhead, flags snapping in the wind—for a NATO summit that’s
Read Full Story at The Hill →Why This Matters
The NATO summit arrives at a precarious inflection point where military alliances collide with economic pragmatism. Trump’s push to revive Turkey’s F-35 funding—despite Ankara’s S-400 purchase from Russia—exposes the fragility of transatlantic defense coordination when geopolitical interests diverge.
Background Context
Turkey’s 2019 acquisition of Russia’s S-400 system triggered its expulsion from the F-35 program, costing Ankara billions in lost contracts and industrial participation. The frozen deal symbolizes a broader struggle: NATO members must balance deterrence against Russian aggression with the need to keep a NATO frontline state strategically aligned.
What Happens Next
Expect intense backroom negotiations over whether to condition F-35 reinstatement on Turkey severing ties with Russian defense firms—a demand Ankara has so far resisted. The summit’s outcome may set a precedent for how NATO handles member states that hedge their alliances amid rising great-power competition.
Bigger Picture
This confrontation underscores a widening rift in NATO: between those prioritizing deterrence against Russia and those seeking to maintain strategic autonomy, even if it means deepening ties with Moscow. The episode may accelerate a bifurcation of European defense priorities, with consequences for the alliance’s cohesion in the coming decade.
