Trump At NATO Summit: Ukraine Patriot Missile License, More Strikes On Iran

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air defense missiles, saying, "We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots... This way, you can't complain that we're not giving 'em enough."

Trump admitted the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, had not yet been informed of the decision but expressed confidence they would be "thrilled." This move addresses Ukraine's critical need for interceptors to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks, though Trump noted the U.S. currently has limited stockpiles to donate directly.

Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran "over" and labeled the Iranian leadership as "scum" and "sick people," warning of imminent and hard U.S. military strikes.

Trump expressed frustration that NATO allies, with the exception of the United Kingdom, had refused to allow the U.S. to use their airbases for bombing missions against Iran. He also renewed his demand for the U.S. to acquire Greenland from Denmark, calling it "very important for the United States," a claim Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen firmly rejected, saying the territory is "not for sale."

Tensions flared over defense spending and alliance unity, with Trump initially threatening to cut off all trade with Spain for failing to meet the 3.5% GDP defense spending target and refusing to support operations against Iran.

However, his tone shifted later in the summit, where he praised Spain for being "very generous" and described a private meeting of NATO leaders as filled with "tremendous love" and unity. The summit concluded with a declaration reaffirming an "ironclad commitment" to Article 5.

Trump sparked security questions by opting not to fly home on the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, citing a desire to let U.S. troops tour the aircraft instead.