Trump touches down in Turkey for NATO summit

US President Trump touched down in Turkey on Tuesday for the NATO summit in the country’s capital city of Ankara this week. 

Trump was greeted by Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the tarmac before greeting Turkish soldiers present for his arrival. 

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine were also present for the arrival, according to the White House press pool. 

Trump’s arrival in Ankara for the summit comes as tensions remain between Washington and the alliance, particularly over Trump’s criticism of NATO member countries’ defense spending. 

Before Trump arrived in Turkey early Tuesday, NATO rolled out billions of dollars in military projects, which the organization’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, called “money well spent.” 

The summit also comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines at the summit, less than three weeks after meeting at the Group of Seven (G7) meeting in France. After their meeting, the U.S. leader said Russia “should make a deal” to end the war. 

Trump will also meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and will hold a press conference before returning to Washington on Wednesday.