President Donald Trump said at a NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defense systems.
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and praised the Ukrainian leader's willingness to reach a deal ending the fighting; "We've actually developed a good relationship. It's hard to believe," Trump said, adding he believed a deal on ending the war was on the horizon and that the U.S. would "work on some kind of security package" to provide to Ukraine.
Trump pledged to grant Ukraine the right to manufacture Patriots, saying, "We'll give them the right to make Patriots. We'll show them how to do it," and "I think they can produce them pretty quickly." The article noted Patriots are expensive, in high demand and take a long time to produce, and that Zelenskyy has for years sought more of them and recently had requested a license to build his own.
Ahead of the summit, Trump lashed out at European partners over Greenland and support for the Iran campaign, insisting the U.S. should control Greenland and singling out Spain as "a terrible partner in NATO" while renewing threats to cut off trade; Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her country is "ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory."
By the end of the day, Trump described the gathering as one of unity and "tremendous love," and praised member nations for progress in increasing defense spending as NATO's European members plus Canada scrambled to meet the alliance's increased defense spending targets while the U.S. draws down troops in Europe.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Trump for U.S. strikes on Iran overnight after Tehran struck three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, saying, "I think what you did last night was absolutely necessary," and "It was a very strong response, and I'm with you on this." The article said the U.S. strikes and the revoking of a license allowing Iran to sell its oil underlined the fragility of an interim deal to end months of fighting; Trump said of the interim agreement, "For me, I think it's over," and added, "It's just a waste of time dealing with them."
In a declaration following Wednesday's summit, NATO leaders pledged to provide Ukraine with $80 billion to help meet its defense needs this year and next, noting "the long-term threat Russia poses to Euro-Atlantic security." Zelenskyy made a fresh appeal Tuesday for Ukraine to be allowed to join the alliance and said Ukrainian armed forces are "eliminating" on average 30,000 Russian troops every month; the article said Russia is vehemently opposed to Ukrainian membership.
Trump also met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, described as a former insurgent who led the offensive that unseated Bashar Assad in December 2024, and who despite once being an al-Qaida fighter has won Trump's backing. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that Trump has told U.S. lawmakers the U.S. will soon remove Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a year-long normalization process, and Rubio said, "Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people." The article noted that in June 2025 Trump signed an executive order ending a number of economic sanctions before revoking the terrorism designation a few weeks later for al-Sharaa, though the designation for Syria remained.