US President Donald Trump said at a NATO summit in Türkiye the US will give Ukraine a licence to make Patriot air defence systems to counter missile attacks from Russia in their more than four-year war, a huge coup for Kyiv, which has long requested the technology.
Allowing foreign manufacture of Patriots, which the US had resisted, was a turnaround for Trump that mirrored his day at the NATO meeting: Upon arriving, he lashed out at European partners for resisting his efforts to take control of Greenland and for not supporting his war in Iran. But by day's end, he described a gathering of unity and “tremendous love", and praised member nations on their progress in increasing their defence spending.
The tone of Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a break from earlier encounters that ended in acrimony, and Trump praised the Ukrainian leader's willingness to reach a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine.
“We’ve actually developed a good relationship. It’s hard to believe,” Trump said during a news conference with Zelensky, adding that he believed a deal on ending the war was on the horizon and that the US would “work on some kind of security package” to provide to Ukraine.
Trump said the Ukrainian president has “done an amazing job” and “been very effective” in the war as he pledged to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture the Patriot defence systems.
“We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it,” Trump said. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly.”
Patriots are expensive, in high demand and take a long time to produce. Zelensky has for years been asking for more of them, and more recently for a license so that Ukraine can manufacture its own.
NZ Defence Minister meets Zelensky
New Zealand's Defence Minister, Chris Penk, briefly met with Zelensky at the summit, which he is attending to represent the country as part of the Indo-Pacific Four, along with Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Penk said the minister "reiterated New Zealand’s enduring support for Ukraine and conveyed his best wishes to the Ukrainian people".
Penk said it was the first NATO summit since he started attending in 2022 that the Prime Minister has not attended, with Christopher Luxon at home preparing for the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I was able to convey on behalf of Christopher Luxon that he would have loved to be here, and I passed his regards to those whom he’s formed great relationships with over the years," Penk said.
"Our Prime Minister does need to be back home in order to receive the Indian Prime Minister, so that was the only reason for his absence this year, and I was able to convey that to the NATO leadership.”
Zelensky pushes for NATO entry
Zelensky made a fresh appeal for Ukraine to be allowed to join the alliance, saying Ukrainian armed forces are highly experienced and would only boost NATO’s defence capabilities. Russia is vehemently opposed to that.
Zelensky has highlighted Ukraine’s adaptability and its ability to strike deep inside Russia. He said Ukraine’s armed forces are “eliminating” on average 30,000 Russian troops every month.
In a declaration following the summit, NATO leaders pledged to provide Ukraine with US$80 billion to help meet its defence needs this year and next, noting “the long-term threat Russia poses to Euro-Atlantic security”.
Concern has been mounting among some countries with borders near Russia that Moscow might be preparing a hybrid attack — a combination of conventional warfare with tactics like cyberattacks — on the continent as Russian President Vladimir Putin struggles to secure victory in Ukraine.
NATO chief backs latest US strikes on Iran
Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Trump for the series of US strikes on Iran overnight, after Tehran struck three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think what you did last night was absolutely necessary,” Rutte said to Trump. “It was a very strong response, and I’m with you on this.”
The US strikes, as well as the revoking of a license allowing Iran to sell its oil on global markets, underscored the fragility of an interim deal to end months of fighting.
Trump said of the interim agreement with Iran: “For me, I think it’s over” — but added he will allow talks to continue.
“It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” he said.
NATO leaders sought to show Trump they were boosting defence
Rutte has dedicated a huge amount of energy to keeping Trump's support for NATO and to holding the summit together. On Thursday, he sought to tamp down the president’s ire by giving him credit for recent increases in defence spending from NATO allies.
“Grab the win. It’s there,” Rutte told Trump.
The NATO chief pointed to countries including Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Denmark that are investing more in defence, but noted that the Trump administration expects “the Europeans and Canadians will equalise their spending with the United States”.
At last year's summit, the allies agreed to invest 5% of their gross domestic product on defence — 3.5% on their defence budgets and 1.5% on infrastructure so troops and equipment can move faster in times of conflict.
Yet figures released by NATO showed that Slovenia, Belgium, Spain and the Czech Republic have struggled to meet the alliance’s old spending target of 2% of GDP.
The Trump administration wants to see a leaner “NATO 3.0”, with Europe taking responsibility for its own security, including Ukraine, with conventional weapons, while America would continue to provide its nuclear umbrella.
The Pentagon has launched a six-month review of US military presence in Europe, leaving allies to seek clarity on just how deeply Trump intends to cut US force numbers.
SHARE ME