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Live updates: Trump and Turkey’s Erdoğan meet as NATO summit kicks off
NATO allies are expected to discuss Trump’s demand that members increase their defense spending, the organization’s support for Ukraine against Russia, and the U.S. war with Iran
Trump talks Ukraine-Russia and F-35 jets’ sale in meeting with Turkey’s Erdoğan
05:43
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Updated July 07, 2026, 10:25 AM EDT
By NBC News
What to know today
- NATO SUMMIT: President Donald Trump is in Ankara, Turkey, today for a two-day summit with NATO leaders who worry that his resentment over their loyalty and military spending will fracture the alliance. He is beginning the trip with a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
- HOT TOPICS:Among the issues that are expected to come up at the summit are Trump’s demands that NATO members increase their defense spending, the organization’s support for Ukraine against Russia and the U.S. war with Iran, which borders Turkey.
- MELONI RIFT:The summit is also the first time Trump is expected to see Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni since he claimed last month that she “begged” for a photo with him at a Group of Seven summit in Italy — a claim Meloni vigorously denied.
- DRONE WAVE:Ukraine launched more than 400 drones at the Moscow region overnight, the Russian capital’s mayor said, a day after more than two dozen people were killed by Russian attacks on the Kyiv region.
21m ago / 10:25 AM EDT
‘Overturn this’: Trump intervention casts a shadow over World Cup as U.S. crashes out
LONDON — Justice well and truly served. That was the verdict of Belgium’s victorious stars — and many in Europe — after the United States was unceremoniously dumped from the World Cup
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2h ago / 9:37 AM EDT
Trump again says the U.S. should control Greenland
Trump: Greenland ‘should be controlled by the United States’
00:58
In remarks to reporters, Trump reiterated his view that the U.S. should take control of Greenland
“It should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump said, adding a complaint about Europe’s opposition to the move. “And when they wouldn’t go along with it, and with all the money we spend to help them with Russia, and we don’t have to spend any money. We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe, because, as you probably noticed, Europe’s a very different place than it was 20 years ago.”
The president has repeatedly floated the idea of taking Greenland, an autonomous territory owned by Denmark, which has consistently dismissed Trump’s remarks
The U.S. has considered purchasing Greenland at least twice, including in 1867 and then in 1946, when President Harry S. Truman proposed buying it for $100 million. Denmark rejected the offer
2h ago / 9:18 AM EDT
Trump says Meloni ‘just wasn’t there for us’
Answering questions from reporters, Trump said he thinks Meloni is a “nice person,” but added that their relationship became “a little bad because she refused to help us,” referring to Italy not getting further involved with efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
“She just wasn’t there for us, and I wasn’t happy about that,” he said. “You can imagine, I wasn’t happy about that.”
Days ago, Trump posted a picture of himself and Meloni with the caption “restraining order needed,” a reference to his earlier comments that Meloni “begged” him for a photo during the Group of Seven summit of leading industrialized nations last month
Meloni responded at the time, saying,”I and Italy never beg.”
2h ago / 9:12 AM EDT
Trump repeats his optimism that Ukraine and Russia could reach a deal to end their war
Trump reiterated that he thinks Ukraine and Russia want to reach an agreement that would end their conflict
“I think they both want to make a deal,” he told reporters
The president repeated that he had positive calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days
“They both want to get it settled now more than — that’s all I do in my life is deals — and I think they are going to, I think we’re going to get it settled, hopefully soon,” Trump said
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomes Trump at the Presidential Complex in Ankara today. Murat Kula / Anadolu
2h ago / 9:01 AM EDT
Trump says he’s been ‘very disappointed’ with NATO at alliance summit
Trump said during a press availability with Erdoğan that he’s been “very disappointed” with NATO as he attends the alliance summit in Ankara
“If it weren’t held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it’s possible that I wouldn’t have attended,” Trump said when asked if he’s considering a drawdown of U.S. troops from Europe, which the president didn’t answer. “I thought I had to attend because of the fact that, you know, I know he’s gone all out,” he said
Trump then complained about NATO not assisting the U.S. with operations against Iran
“We weren’t treated well because we did something in Iran,” Trump said. “We don’t need anybody’s help. I didn’t even want the help. … They said they wouldn’t be there, and we’ve invested trillions of dollars in NATO. Why? To protect European countries and others, Canada, etc., but to protect people, countries from, generally speaking, it used to be the Soviet Union, now it’s Russia, and I say that’s fine, but you would think that they’d be very willing to do something to help us, and they really weren’t.”
2h ago / 8:56 AM EDT
Trump says the U.S. will consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey
Trump says U.S. will consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey
00:40
Trump told reporters that he and Erdoğan would discuss trade and military issues. He also expressed openness to the U.S. resuming sales of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey
Trump was asked by a reporter whether the U.S. would sell F-35s to Turkey. During his first term, Trump excluded Turkey from the fighter jet program after Turkey bought an air defense system from Russia
Trump said that the F-35 issue was “a decision we’re going to make,” adding that “we have a very good relationship.”
“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal, so something that we would consider,” Trump said, going on to praise the F-35 jets
“It’s certainly something we will consider,” he added
3h ago / 8:31 AM EDT
State arrival ceremony for Trump kicks off
Trump has arrived at the state ceremony honoring the start of his visit to Turkey
Erdoğan greeted the president as the president’s limousine pulled up before an unfurled blue carpet, which was flanked by men in uniform. Uniformed men on horses trotted ahead of the vehicle and also behind him
Erdoğan welcomes Trump at the Presidential Complex in Ankara today. Mehmet Ali Ozcan / Anadolu
The two men shook hands before listening to a band perform the U.S. national anthem as Trump saluted
The two leaders then chatted as they proceeded down the long blue carpet toward the presidential compound, pausing to face cameras and shake hands before going inside
3h ago / 8:07 AM EDT
Trump set to meet with Belgian leaders after U.S. loses to Belgium in World Cup
Trump is set to meet with Belgian leaders today after the U.S. men’s national soccer team lost to Belgium last night in the World Cup. Trump inserted himself into the match by asking FIFA to look into its ban against U.S. striker Folarin Balogun
The U.S. fell to Belgium 4-1, eliminating it from the tournament
Trump acknowledged yesterday that he asked FIFA to review a controversial red card suspension that Balogun was given during the U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina last week
The red card would have prevented Balogun from competing in last night’s match. But after Trump spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the suspension, FIFA reversed its decision and allowed him to complete. Belgian officials unsuccessfully appealed the reversal
Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the reversal yesterday and joked that the episode had become an international incident, saying, “Maybe we’ll bring it up at NATO tomorrow when we’re there with the Belgians and everybody else.”
3h ago / 7:51 AM EDT
Italy will no longer respond to Trump’s provocations, foreign minister says
Italy will stop responding to Trump’s provocative remarks, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in an interview published this morning
Trump “speaks for himself. We have a U.S. President who loves to provoke, especially on social media. We have decided to stop responding to these remarks so as not to fuel disputes among our allies,” Tajani told La Stampa newspaper in Italy
“We are and will remain friends of the United States as our strategic partner and that of Europe,” Tajani added
The comments come as Trump is set to appear alongside Prime Minister Meloni for the first time since last month,when he claimed that she “begged” him for a photo and she called his claim “completely fabricated.”
Trump escalated the feud Sunday on Truth Social, posting a photo of Meloni smiling up at him with text reading “restraining order needed.”
Italy’s Il Foglio newspaper headlined its front page today mocking that post, publishing a picture of Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin, under the same caption “restraining order needed.”
4h ago / 7:21 AM EDT
What topics could be discussed during the summit?
NATO chief Mark Rutte laid out his major priorities for the summit last month —chiefly, increasing defense spending and affirming support for Ukraine. In remarks yesterday, he urged members to firm up plans to reach their spending targets. Trump has pushed NATO countries to spend 5 % of their GDPs by 2035
Trump is expected to sit down with Zelenskyy during his trip.
The U.S. war with Iran is also likely to be a major point of discussion
4h ago / 7:08 AM EDT
Erdoğan meets Trump as he deplanes
Erdoğan greeted Trump as he exited Air Force One, with the two leaders shaking hands and chatting
Trump was also being met by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, the White House said
An apparent honor guard with rifles stood to the sides as the two leaders walked together down a long blue carpet that was laid out at the bottom of the plane’s steps
4h ago / 6:55 AM EDT
Trump lands in Turkey for NATO summit
Trump has landed in Ankara, Turkey, kicking off his NATO summit trip
Later today, he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Trump will also participate in a NATO leaders’ dinner tonight
5h ago / 6:46 AM EDT
Trump says he had a ‘good call’ with Putin about the war
Trump told reporters yesterday that he had a “good call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin the day before and that both Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy want to end the war in Ukraine
“We’re going to be going to NATO, and we’re going to be talking about it, and we, I think we’re going to get it, I think we’re going to get it ended,” he said
5h ago / 6:22 AM EDT
Trump to meet with NATO leaders with his commitment to the 77-year-old alliance in doubt
Trump is set to arrive in Turkey today for a summit meeting with NATO leaders who are worried that his resentment over their loyalty and military spending will fracture the alliance
Trump will spend only about a day and a half in the company of NATO allies after having made it clear he might have boycotted the summit altogether had the host not been someone he admires, Turkey’s longtime president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Read the full story here
5h ago / 6:12 AM EDT
Trump set to appear alongside Italian PM Meloni amid rift
Trump is set to appear alongside Meloni for the first time since last month,when he claimed that she “begged” him for a photo with him. In response, she called his claim “completely fabricated” and questioned why “the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies.”
Trump escalated the feud Sunday on Truth Social, posting a photo of Meloni smiling up at him with text reading “restraining order needed.”
5h ago / 6:11 AM EDT
NATO unveils billions in arms deals to prove its firepower to Trump
NATO this morning showcased a series of military projects worth billions of dollars in an attempt to convince Trump that U.S. allies are converting fresh defense spending into real firepower
“It’s money well spent,” an energized NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told government ministers and defense industry officials on the sidelines of a summit in Turkey. He was speaking at a defense industry forum billed as NATO’s “big reveal,” to the thrum of techno music and a slick video display
NATO as an organization does not own any weapons — these are the property of the 32 member countries — but it does have a fleet of 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes that are about 50 years old, along with some newer surveillance drones
A deal to replace the aging planes was announced this morning
Representatives from 15 nations shook hands and patted shoulders on a vast podium under the NATO logo as they announced a multinational effort to buy air-to-air refueling and transport planes from Airbus. Then Rutte announced a four-country effort to purchase as many as five new Triton surveillance drones to add to NATO’s small fleet
“It is genuinely made in NATO, and creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic,” he said. However no dollar figures were given and the display included some projects long since agreed
5h ago / 6:11 AM EDT
Ukraine launches more than 400 drones toward Moscow ahead of NATO summit
Ukraine launched more than 400 drones at the Moscow region overnight, the Russian capital’s mayor said, a day after more than two dozen people were killed by Russian attacks on the Kyiv region
A total of 36 drones were destroyed as they were approaching the Russian capital, which has a population of 13 million, Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram
The two sides have exchanged intensifying attacks in recent weeks, with the Kremlin stepping up assaults on Kyiv as Ukrainian attacks force a mounting crisis at home
At least 28 people were killed in Russian bombardment of the Kyiv region yesterday, local officials said
5h ago / 6:11 AM EDT
Trump set to meet with NATO leaders in Turkey
Trump is set to meet with NATO leaders in Turkey today against a backdrop of mounting U.S. pressure on European allies to ramp up spending on defense
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month said it was “shameful” that NATO countries would not provide access to bases on the continent for the U.S. to launch attacks on Iran.
Hegseth announced a six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe, pressuring the countries to take a greater lead in defense spending
