Here's the latest
• Global stakes: US President Donald Trump has landed in Turkey ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, as his growing criticism continues to strain the 77-year-old alliance. NATO’s chief says US allies have made “remarkable progress” with defense spending — a salient issue for Trump, who has called on them to “step up.”
• Turkey jet sales: In a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the US president told reporters he would soon decide whether to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, despite a congressional ban.
• Strait of Hormuz: The Trump administration anticipates security in the strait to be among the key topics discussed by NATO leaders, according to a senior US official.
• Ukraine in focus: The president is also expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara. Trump vowed to end Russia’s war within 24 hours of taking office — but his administration has yet to find a path to peace.
Why one country sent two competing delegations to the NATO summit
An obscure domestic political row bursted into the international arena on Tuesday when the Czech Republic dispatched two competing delegations to the NATO summit in Ankara.
First to land, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and his entourage were welcomed in Ankara by Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat. Not long after that, a second Czech government aircraft touched down, bringing President Petr Pavel. He was greeted by Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
The Czech government did not explain why the two men couldn’t travel together, despite setting off from the same airport in Prague less than an hour apart.
Personal animosity likely played a major role. Pavel and Babiš have been locked in a dispute over the summit for months. Czech delegations to NATO have traditionally included both the country’s prime minister as the head of government and the president as the head of state.
But last month, Babiš banned Pavel from attending the summit, prompting Pavel to launch a lawsuit with the Czech Constitutional Court. The court issued an injunction, effectively ordering Babiš to allow Pavel to go.
Officially, the prime minister said he needed more “space” to negotiate and to explain why the Czech Republic is one of just three NATO countries not meeting the current defense spending targets.
But the two men have clashed over multiple issues, including the government’s decision to cut defense spending as well as Pavel’s refusal to appoint a controversial anti-establishment, right-wing politician into Babiš’s government.
By attempting to stop the president from attending the summit, Babiš was clearly trying to hit where it would hurt, as NATO has for years been Pavel’s home turf. A retired general, Pavel previously served as chair of NATO’s Military Committee, one of the alliance’s top positions.
Trump says "we're going to see" on possible US troop drawdowns in Europe
President Donald Trump declined Tuesday to say whether he plans to announce additional US troop reductions in Europe, telling reporters, “we’re going to see,” during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
“Well, we’re going to see,” Trump said when asked whether he is likely to announce further drawdowns of US forces in Europe.
The US president also renewed his criticism of NATO, suggesting he had considered skipping the summit altogether.
Trump’s comments come amid ongoing questions about the future of the US military presence in Europe. Trump has privately discussed the possibility of cutting American troop levels on the continent by roughly one-third after expressing frustration that NATO allies declined to participate in US military operations against Iran, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Trump says he's considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and plans to lift sanctions
US President Donald Trump said he would soon decide whether to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets despite a congressional ban, as he praised the country as more loyal than other recipients of the plane. He added later he would lift sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of a Russian air defense system.
Trump said the sales are “something certainly we consider.”
“It’s a great plane, it’s the best, currently the best plane by far, and certainly something we will consider,” he said.
US officials told CNN earlier that Trump is expected to signal this week that he is willing to sell the country F-35s, reversing a ban he put in place during his first term that has since been ratified into law.
How, exactly, Trump plans to get around the congressional ban on the fighter jet sales remained unclear.
But Trump said Turkey had been an “extraordinary” ally, and that the US had an obligation to fulfill orders the country had already placed for the military hardware.
On lifting sanctions: Asked about US sanctions that stem from Turkey’s procurement of the Russian S-400 system, Trump said they would be lifted soon.
This post has been updated to reflect Trump’s comments on sanctions.
Trump and Erdoğan put friendship on display
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is making Trump feel very welcome in Turkey, with honor guards, military bands and a carpet the color of Turkey’s famous Turquoise Coast.
At both the airport and at the Beştepe Presidential Palace, Trump was met with the symbols of high diplomatic honors, including trumpets blaring and cannons firing.
Trump has said the only reason he is attending this week’s summit is because of his close relationship with Erdogan, and the Turkish leader appears intent on demonstrating his appreciation to the US president.
He said Trump was adding “might and strength” to the summit. Similar honors have not yet been afforded to other leaders attending the conference.
Trump, who is planning to signal his intent to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets, praised Erdoğan.
“We are great friends,” Trump said, extolling on the beauty of the airport, roads and a building he claimed was named for him.
He said Turkey was a country to be “reckoned” with, “and the nice part is that because of the relationship that we have, it’s all gone very well.”
With Trump in Ankara, Netanyahu publicly opposes US F-35 jets for Turkey
US President Donald Trump’s visit to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey will see one of Israel’s closest allies engaging with one of its main adversaries.
Turkey and Israel have been escalated their rhetoric recently, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be closely watching Trump’s interactions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in an interview with CNN Turk last week that Israel has become a “burden that humanity can no longer bear.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the remarks as “textbook incitement to genocide,” and urged NATO to respond. Netanyahu has raised the issue with Trump as well, according to an Israeli source.
Among Israel’s primary concerns is Trump’s declared intent to sell advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, a deal Israel has been lobbying allies in Washington to block.
Netanyahu made the case public in an interview on Fox News yesterday, warning that arming “a regime infected by the Muslim Brotherhood” would “upset the power balance in the Middle East which is ultimately guaranteed by Israel air superiority and by America’s posture.”
The Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu has also raised the issue privately with Trump, arguing the sale could erode Israel’s qualitative military edge.
Zelensky urges European allies to "build strong defense against Russia's ballistic missiles"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged European allies to prioritize the production of anti-ballistic missile systems while speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
“The one thing we still need to do here in Europe is build a strong defense against Russia’s ballistic missiles,” Zelensky said. “It’s a big challenge; this is Russia’s last major advantage.”
The Ukrainian leader also described the threat of Russia’s ballistic missiles — which have bombarded Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and killed scores of citizens on numerous occasions since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022 — as an issue of global importance.
“We already see each other as reliable partners, and it would be only natural to become a part of one common security community,” Zelensky appealed to the European community.
US has a stronger partner in Europe since NATO allies upped defense spending, Rutte says
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Europe is a stronger partner to the US than it was five years ago, spolightlighting what he described as the progress the alliance is making to shift defense dependence away from the United States.
“We cannot continue, as we did, being over reliant on the United States,” Rutte said during a NATO-EU conversation with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Turkey. “We need this much stronger Europe and a stronger NATO.”
Rutte said NATO’s priority is to expand its defense industrial bases across Europe, Canada and the US, adding that Europe has already experienced an increase of production lines in newly opened factories.
“What we are seeing at the moment is a transformation, which is unparalleled since the end of the Cold War, where Europe is taking so much more responsibility for NATO,” Rutte said.
“It is a NATO transformed, where the US has a strong partner in Europe, much more so than five years ago. … Therefore, all of NATO is stronger.”
Trump receives pomp-filled welcome in Turkey ahead of NATO summit
US President Donald Trump received a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival in Ankara on Tuesday ahead of a critical NATO summit, with Turkey rolling out a reception that underscored the close ties between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
A red-carpet welcome — though the carpet was a distinctive Turquoise blue because of its connection to tradition — greeted the US president at Etimesgut Air Base, where what appeared to be a Turkish honor guard stood at attention.
Erdoğan was waiting on the tarmac to welcome Trump, highlighting the relationship between the two leaders. Trump has repeatedly referred to Erdoğan as “a friend.”
The White House said Trump was also greeted upon arrival by US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack, US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
Key issues NATO leaders will try to tackle in Ankara
Defense spending: Last year, NATO heads of state committed that their governments would spend a total of 5% of GDP on defense and security activities by 2035, an increase from the 2% of GDP target agreed in 2014. The boost, NATO members agreed, was necessary because of the persistent threat to NATO from Russia and global terrorism. Spain secured an exception from the new rules, as long as it keeps its capability demands.
However, several members are struggling to meet even the current targets and have warned that they may not be able – or willing – to raise spending. This is likely to be a major sticking point given US President Donald Trump’s focus on spending.
US forces withdrawal from Europe: Trump has previously threatened to withdraw some US forces from Europe and the Pentagon has already canceled two US military deployments to Europe and ordered the removal of other personnel from the continent.
At the summit, NATO’s European members will try to make the case to Trump on why US presence in Europe continues to be beneficial for both sides of the Atlantic. At the very least, they will try to get some clarity from Trump on the future of US deployments.
Ukraine: Europe has struggled to step in after US withdrew its military assistance to Ukraine, even though the need for expensive weapons have only increased as Russia greatly stepped up its aerial attacks against Ukraine.
Iran war: Trump has repeatedly criticised other NATO countries over their refusal to get dragged into the US-Israeli war on Iran. He has personally scolded several European leaders attending the summit, including the outgoing UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his one-time ally Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister.
Ahead of the NATO summit, Macron traveled to Damascus, Syria
French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Damascus, Syria ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Turkey, becoming the first Western official to travel to the country since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
This morning, an explosion went off near the Four Seasons Hotel that Macron stayed in last night. Another blast occurred beside the nearby Ministry of Tourism, a Syrian official told CNN on condition of anonymity.
The French leader was unharmed and was already at Syria’s Presidential Palace when the explosions occurred, the Élysée Palace said in a statement.
The blasts took place while security officers were trying to dismantle two explosive devices found during field operations, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). At least 18 people were injured, including four police officers, SANA said.
Situated in the heart of the Syrian capital, the Four Seasons Hotel is regularly used by overseas visitors to the country, including diplomats, NGO workers and journalists.
Read more about the visit in our full article here.
Trump lands in Turkey for NATO summit
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Turkey ahead of a critical NATO summit.
The president, flying aboard the new Qatar-donated Air Force One plane, landed in Ankara after an overnight flight from Washington.
It was the plane’s first outing on a presidential trip overseas.
Trump is expected to greet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the airport before heading to bilateral meetings at the presidential compound.
As NATO meets, Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure continue
As NATO leaders gather in Ankara today with Ukraine a focal point of the agenda, Russia continues to wage a campaign against the infrastructure of ordinary Ukrainian life, targeting fuel stations, destroying postal hubs and sending missiles into apartment blocks in the middle of the night.
Over 150 gas stations have burned down in two months, according to Andriy Pivovarsky, CEO of WOG, one of Ukraine’s largest fuel chains, who said that oil depots and other fuel infrastructure facilities come under attack almost every week.
In Chernihiv, Russian strikes on gas stations have become almost a daily occurrence, according to local authorities, who said that there have been 25 such strikes in June and July alone. On Monday, in Zaporizhzhia, a woman and an 11-year-old boy were wounded when a station was hit, officials said. And on Sunday, in Izyum, a 19-year-old was killed and four women were injured, authorities said, when Russian forces reportedly struck a gas station with a Tornado-S rocket system.
Russia has also repeatedly targeted Nova Post, Ukraine’s largest private postal and courier company. On Tuesday, the postal service’s terminal in Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine, was attacked, the company said, and in June, a missile destroyed its flagship Kyiv sorting terminal.
Around 200 drones strike border territories and cities daily, according to Sergiy Beskrestnov, adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, with Russian forces increasingly switching to jet-powered Shaheds, which are harder to intercept than other models.
Meanwhile, attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding areas continue to affect civilian life. At least 27 people were killed in strikes on the Kyiv region on Monday, authorities said today. It was the second large-scale attack in just a week; last Thursday, 30 people were killed in the third deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since the war began.
Zelensky says air defenses for Ukraine are his priority. Here's why
Ukraine is not a NATO member but its President Volodymyr Zelensky has become a frequent guest at the defense alliance’s gatherings as his country continues to defend itself against the Russian aggression.
As he arrived to Ankara on Tuesday, Zelensky said that his main goal from the summit is to secure more air defenses for Kyiv.
“We will continue to work on bolstering Ukraine’s air defense. New systems, missiles for them, and the issue of production licenses – all of this is our priority,” he said on X.
For the past couple of months Ukraine has been mostly able to fend off Russia’s mass aerial attacks against its cities and save lives by taking out Moscow’s drones and missiles using a combination of smart technology, scrappy military tactics and western-supplied weapons.
But that has changed this month. A Russian attack on Kyiv killed 30 people in Kyiv last week. Just four days later, another Russian assault on the Ukrainian capital left 19 people dead.
The unusually high death toll is almost certainly down to Kyiv’s acute shortage of patriot missiles — the only air defence weapon capable of taking done these kind go missiles.
Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials said the country is facing a “critical shortage” and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said last week it sent letters to nearly 40 countries asking them to provide them with Patriot missiles from their existing stocks as soon as possible. It said this would be “in exchange for future deliveries already contracted for Ukraine.”
A closer look at NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with United States President Donald Trump at the White House last month, working to smooth things over with the American leader ahead of this week’s NATO summit.
Rutte has cultivated a largely positive relationship with Trump. His fawning praise of Trump has earned him ridicule from some fellow European officials, but he has emerged as a pivotal figure for a frazzled Europe struggling to get through to the US president.
The fear among some allies is Trump, angry that members of the alliance failed to join him in the war against Iran, will use the Turkey NATO conference to announce major shifts in US support for the 77-year-old alliance. Already, the Pentagon has said it is conducting a six-month review of US force posture in Europe.
His relationship with Trump goes back years. As Dutch leader from 2010 to 2024, Rutte made several visits to Washington, DC, during Trump’s first term, laying the ground for a charm offensive that appears to have served him — and the military alliance he now heads — well.
Rutte’s most famous act of Trump-soothing diplomacy came at a NATO meeting last year. After the US president used an expletive in response to hostilities between Israel and Iran, and then the analogy of two children fighting to describe their deadly conflict, Rutte joked in front of the world’s cameras: “Daddy has to sometimes use strong language.”
NATO making "remarkable progress" expanding defense spending, secretary general says
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance has made “remarkable progress” a year on from setting its mission to strengthen cooperation through investment in defense and localized production that reduces reliance on non-allied suppliers.
Rutte’s comments at the outset of the summit highlight European commitments to defense spending, a salient issue for US President Donald Trump who has repeatedly criticized the alliance and called on allies to “step up.”
Rutte emphasized that industries across Europe are working “hand in hand” with their North American counterparts to innovate and develop next generation capabilities.
Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen supported Rutte’s claim, confirming that Denmark is meeting NATO’s targets. “Europe must arm ourselves so that we can take care of our people and our society. From the Danish side, we are delivering,” Frederiksen revealed.
The Danish leader threw attention to the perceived threat Europe faces from Russia, as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine persists.
CNN’s James Frater contributed to this reporting.
Why Trump and NATO have a tumultuous relationship
World leaders are in Turkey for a NATO summit, but a key player, US President Donald Trump, has had a rocky relationship with the alliance.
Trump has threatened to withdraw from NATO and questioned whether it is valuable for the United States, which he argues is underwriting Europe’s security, to remain a member.
In recent months, that sentiment was on full display as the US entered into a conflict with Iran.
What this means: The NATO alliance itself dates back 77 years, and American and European security structures have become intertwined during that time. But Trump did not consult his European and NATO allies before launching the war in Iran and has lashed out at the alliance and individual leaders over their unwillingness to get involved and assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz.
But, at the same time, Trump has also taken credit for boosting members’ defense spending and periodically reaffirms his commitment to NATO’s collective defense agreement.
In addition to the Iran war, another thorny point in the NATO-Trump relationship was the US president’s threat to use military force to take Greenland.
Trump asserted that controlling Greenland — a territory of NATO ally Denmark — was necessary for national security and he would take it “whether they like it or not.”
That drew quick condemnation from allies and rattled the entire Western alliance. Trump later dropped it, but still threatened tariffs against those who opposed his grab — deepening the rift.
NATO "not well adapted yet" to Russia’s precision strike technology, says military analyst
Ahead of the NATO summit, CNN’s Bianna Golodryga speaks to Michael Kofman, a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about whether the alliance is prepared for a potential Russia threat after Ukraine.
Sources say Trump mused cutting troops in Europe by a third to send NATO a message
As President Donald Trump was raging during a White House meeting this spring that fellow members of the NATO alliance had refused to join his war in Iran, he had a thought.
What if he cut American forces in Europe by a third, he asked, according to two people familiar with the conversation. Would that send the so-called allies the right message?
Around the time Trump floated the idea, the Pentagon abruptly canceled two US military deployments to Europe and ordered the removal of other personnel from the continent.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth planned to announce at a June NATO meeting even steeper cuts that could add up to the one-third reduction Trump raised, according to two sources. But the plan changed after consultations with other senior administration officials, and Hegseth instead unveiled a six-month review of US forces in Europe.
Trump’s fury — and his threats — are straining the 77-year-old NATO alliance. Never particularly enthusiastic in pledging US support for Europe’s defense, Trump has grown even more skeptical, claiming America’s oldest allies weren’t there when he needed them after he launched a war in Iran.
He has never explicitly ruled out attempting to withdraw from NATO, and consistently questions its value for the US, which he argues is underwriting Europe’s security.
Trump has also threatened to seize Greenland from a fellow NATO member, and has shown periodic deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who some European officials fear could be planning operations in NATO territory as a test of the alliance’s resolve.
Deadly strikes in Kyiv set backdrop for critical NATO summit
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv came under a deadly Russian attack early Monday morning, the day before the war is set to be a key topic of discussions among world leaders at the NATO summit in Turkey.
Ballistic missiles and drones hammered parts of Kyiv, killing at least 19 people in the city and six others in the surrounding region, with dozens more wounded, city officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned just hours earlier that Moscow was “preparing a new massive strike,” and the fresh assault comes just days after a ferocious Russian attack on Kyiv killed 30 people last Thursday – the third-deadliest attack on the capital since the war began.
US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Zelensky during the NATO summit this week. The pair spoke on the phone on Saturday.
The lethality of the Russian assaults on Kyiv in the past week displays the challenge Ukraine faces in protecting its capital as Russia innovates and steps up its attacks.
Ahead of the summit, Zelensky used the attacks on Kyiv to renew his plea for allies to supply Ukraine with missiles for Patriot systems.
Trump to signal he's willing to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets despite congressional ban
President Donald Trump is expected to signal this week in Turkey that he is willing to sell the country F-35 fighter jets, according to two US officials familiar with the plans, reversing a ban he put in place during his first term that has since been ratified into law.
How, exactly, Trump plans to get around the congressional ban on the fighter jet sales remained unclear. But he said ahead of his trip he intends to arrive in Turkey with a “gift” for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that would “make him very happy.”
Trump banned Turkey from purchasing the American-made F-35s in 2019 after the country purchased the Russian air defense system named S-400. He did so reluctantly, however, blaming the Obama administration for the situation and sympathizing with Erdogan for the “very tough situation that they’ve been forced in.”
Congress codified the ban into law in 2020, and said the F-35s could be transferred if Turkey no longer possessed the S-400s.
The Russian system is built to defeat US stealth technology, leading officials in Washington to worry that if Turkey took delivery of F-35s, the Russian system could be used to collect valuable information about the fifth-generation fighter jet.
Many Republicans in Congress are skeptical of transferring F-35s to Turkey, as is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Fox News this week that such a move would “upset the balance of power in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israel’s air superiority and also America’s posture in the Middle East.”
But Trump considers Erdogan a friend, and had tasked senior administration officials with reviewing the matter to find a solution that would adhere to the law.
