Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, has described fresh U.S. strikes on Iran as "absolutely necessary," in remarks at the start of the second day of the alliance's sumit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the United States has largely lifted defence-related sanctions on Turkey, adding that Ankara is no longer experiencing restrictions in the sector.
Speaking on Wednesday, Erdogan said there was currently no issue regarding U.S. sanctions on Turkey.
“U.S. sanctions are not being experienced by Turkey, there is no such issue,” Erdogan said, signalling an improvement in defence ties between the NATO allies. The remarks came on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where alliance leaders are discussing security cooperation and military capabilities.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Donald Trump has a positive view on selling F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye and that he hopes Washington will honour its commitment.
Speaking after the NATO summit in Ankara, Erdogan described his talks with Trump as "very fruitful" and dismissed Israeli and Greek opposition to the potential sale.
Trump says he has not yet decided whether to sell F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, but suggested he was leaning in favour of the move, praising President Tayyip Erdogan for being a strong ally.
"I haven't totally made up my mind, but my inclination is to say... he's helped us in so many different ways," he told reporters after the NATO summit in Ankara.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said European allies are taking greater responsibility for their own defence, arguing that the era of "free-riding" in NATO is over. Speaking after the summit in Ankara, he credited U.S. President Donald Trump with helping drive the shift in burden-sharing.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Israel will withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, adding that he thinks Israel wants to take that step. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would "see what happens" with the European Union after ordering an immediate halt to trade with Spain. Under EU rules, trade negotiations are conducted collectively by the bloc rather than by individual member states.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said NATO emerged stronger and more united from its summit in Ankara, citing U.S. President Donald Trump's praise for the meeting's spirit and unity. He said the alliance had achieved its main goal of reinforcing cohesion amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
NATO has agreed to upgrade its Baltic air policing mission into an air defence mission, a spokesperson for Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Wednesday. The decision was announced on the sidelines of the alliance's summit in Ankara.
NATO allies are investing €27 billion ($30.8 billion) in fuel storage infrastructure to strengthen the alliance's fuel supply chain, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday. The investment aims to improve energy resilience and ensure allied forces have the fuel needed for operational readiness.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she does not regret building close relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, despite his recent social media criticism. Speaking after the NATO summit in Ankara, she also reaffirmed Italy's commitment to NATO defence spending targets while saying Rome would decide the timing and prioritise its domestic defence industry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he plans to discuss air defences, including licences for Patriot missile production, and a drone agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Wednesday's summit in Ankara demonstrated a strong sense of unity among allies, despite renewed tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Spain, ordered a halt to trade ties and reiterated his claims over Greenland.
French President Emmanuel Macron said work is continuing with Türkiye and Italy on the Franco-Italian SAMP-T air defence system. His remarks follow reports that France is open to a possible sale of the system to Türkiye, paving the way for more substantive discussions with Ankara.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that both Russia and Ukraine want to reach a settlement to end the war, as he announced Washington would grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot missile systems. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the move would strengthen Ukraine's air defence capabilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States would likely carry out additional strikes on Iran later in the day, following attacks the previous night.
Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump warned: "We're going to hit them hard tonight."
NATO leaders on Wednesday reaffirmed their "ironclad commitment" to the alliance's collective defence under Article 5 in a declaration issued at the Ankara summit.
The declaration said European allies and Canada would take greater responsibility for NATO's defence, with members announcing more than $50 billion in new defence procurements. Allies also pledged €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026 and committed to maintaining at least the same level of support in 2027.
U.S. President Donald Trump told NATO leaders on Wednesday that he wants the United States to remain in the alliance, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters.
According to the source, Trump also said Washington was prepared to continue selling weapons to allies regardless of how they are used. During the closed-door meeting in Ankara, he did not repeat his earlier criticism of Spain, his remarks that the interim Iran ceasefire deal was "over", or raise the issue of Greenland.
France will contribute ground troops to NATO's rotating forward land forces in Finland, the Finnish president's office said on Wednesday, reinforcing the alliance's presence on its northeastern flank.
U.S. President Donald Trump did not repeat his criticism of Spain or his announcement that the interim Iran ceasefire deal was "over" during Wednesday's NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters.
According to the source, Trump also made no mention of Greenland during the summit discussions, despite raising all three issues earlier in the day.
Canada and the United Kingdom said on Wednesday that their respective defence financing initiatives—the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank and the Multilateral Defence Mechanism—are designed to complement one another.
In a joint statement issued by Prime Ministers Mark Carney and Keir Starmer's offices, the two countries said they would continue working closely to ensure the initiatives develop in a coordinated and mutually supportive way.
U.S. stock futures fell on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said the interim deal with Iran was "over", fuelling fears of renewed Middle East tensions and sending oil prices up more than 6%.
Energy stocks gained on higher crude prices, while airlines, cruise operators and technology shares declined. By early trading, Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were all down more than 1%, with the Nasdaq hitting a four-week low.
Investors are also awaiting the Federal Reserve's June meeting minutes for signals on inflation and the outlook for interest rates.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he admired Donald Trump's determined stance on efforts to achieve lasting peace with Iran, despite the U.S. president declaring the interim ceasefire agreement over. Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also thanked Spain, Germany, Italy and the United States for providing air defence support to Türkiye during the war with Iran and called for greater allied solidarity against terrorism.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for defence industry restrictions between NATO allies to be lifted, saying members should take greater responsibility for the alliance's security without undermining unity. Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, he said Türkiye was on track to meet NATO's 5% defence spending target by 2030 and had allocated an additional $24 billion for its Steel Dome air and missile defence project.
Oil prices surged more than 5% and global stocks fell after U.S. President Donald Trump declared the memorandum of understanding with Iran "over" and ruled out further engagement with Tehran. Brent crude climbed to around $78 a barrel, while investors sold risk assets, pushing bond yields higher amid renewed concerns over Gulf tensions, inflation and potential disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding with Iran to end the conflict was "over", describing Iran's leadership as "sick people" and saying he had no intention of engaging with Tehran. Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, he also said he had ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off U.S. trade with Spain, calling Madrid a "terrible partner" in NATO. His remarks came after the U.S. carried out new strikes on Iran and revoked a licence allowing Iranian oil sales following attacks on three tankers, further undermining the fragile ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt all trade with Spain, calling Madrid a "terrible partner" in NATO, as he spoke alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte ahead of the alliance summit in Ankara.
The Czech Republic will not meet its two per cent GDP defence spending target this year, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has said.
NATO members were previously expected to spend at least two per cent of their GDP on defence. Countries in the alliance are now committed to spending 3.5 per cent on defence by 2035.
Reuters
Hungary's Prime Minister Péter Magyar has reiterated that Budapest will not provide arms or troops to Ukraine, in remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara.
Magyar added that he had a short discussion with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and they have agreed to meet bilateraly in the near future.
Poland's President has said he will try to ensure that NATO's pipeline network is extended to the alliance's eastern flank.
"The dual-use nature of pipelines... provides the opportunity to build security for NATO's entire eastern flank, so this is also an opportunity for me and all of central Europe to raise this issue once again," President Karol Nawrocki said as he arrived at the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye.
The NATO Pipeline System is a 10,000km underground network of pipes across 12 countries which securely distributes aviation fuel and diesel to military airbases, passenger airports and ground forces.
He added that it was "always possible" that Russian President Vladimir Putin may use force against countries like Poland on the alliance's eastern side.
Germany is holding productive talks with the U.S. about buying Tomahawk cruise missiles, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told Deutschlandfunk radio on Wednesday, adding that he was optimistic that Berlin could make the purchase happen.
"Things are moving forward, but there are no results yet. We're having productive discussions, and I'm optimistic that we'll be able to make this work," said the Minister, who is attending the NATO summit in Ankara.
He added that Germany would step up efforts to provide air defence interceptors to Ukraine but said others needed to contribute too.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that Europe and Canada are taking more responsibility for the NATO alliance, in remarks to reporters upon arriving at day two of the alliance's summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Carney said that Europe and Canada had heeded U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for them to carry more of the alliance's burden.
Answering questions at the the beginning of day two of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the renewed U.S. attacks on Iran were "absolutely necessary."
Rutte said that Iran had violated the ceasefire by launching strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
"It is crucial that the U.S. forcibly reacts," he added.
Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, has said that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains "crucial," for members of the alliance, in remarks at the beginning of day two of the NATO Summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
He added that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has said that his country is "probably the best partner in the Nordics or the Baltics to Türkiye."
Speaking at the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in the Turkish capital Ankara, Michal said the gathering is critical for demonstrating allied unity and solidarity.
South Korea will provide Ukraine with a package of aid worth $100 million, excluding lethal weapons, a senior South Korean official has said.
The official was speaking in Ankara, Türkiye, where South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is attending the NATO summit.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to unveil a $50 billion initiative to develop deep precision strike weapons at the summit on Wednesday, the UK government said.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "g...
The lawyer representing social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate has accused U.S. authorities of "weaponising" the legal process against the b...
At least 30 people were killed after armed men attacked a village in Nigeria's northwestern Kaduna state overnight, according to local residents, in t...
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly reshaping the Caspian region. From threats to energy infrastructure to renewed diplomatic efforts, countries across the region are adapting to the wider consequences of a conflict that continues to disrupt trade, transport and security.
A New York school district has put plans to introduce a humanoid robot into classrooms on hold after fierce criticism from teachers, Indigenous community members and state education officials over the use of artificial intelligence in schools.
A known Islamist suspected of driving a minivan into a crowd near a major LGBTQ Pride gathering in Berlin was shot dead during a police operation at an allotment garden complex, broadcaster RBB reported on Sunday.
The lawyer representing social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate has accused U.S. authorities of "weaponising" the legal process against the brothers as they fight extradition to the UK.
At least 30 people were killed after armed men attacked a village in Nigeria's northwestern Kaduna state overnight, according to local residents, in the latest deadly assault highlighting the country's worsening security crisis.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
A group of relatives of victims killed in the 11 September 2001, attacks have launched a petition calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be barred from attending the 25th anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, arguing that his presence would be inappropriate at the solemn event.
Three women were injured in a knife attack in Paris on Monday before bystanders overpowered the suspect and an off-duty police officer took him into custody, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.
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