Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 8

Durbin Backs Trump Push for 32 NATO Allies to Spend More as Summit Adopts 5% Goal

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 8

Durbin Backs Trump Push for 32 NATO Allies to Spend More as Summit Adopts 5% Goal

Q: With US law blocking the F-35 sale, what deal can Trump offer Turkey for its inactive Russian missile system?

Trump cannot legally offer Turkey the F-35 while Ankara still possesses the S-400, even if the Russian system is inactive. Under the FY2020 NDAA and CAATSA, the workable deal is for Turkey to fully divest the S-400s and, in return, receive a path back to Western defense cooperation. That means the most realistic Trump offer is a package: U.S. support for lifting CAATSA sanctions, renewed access to the F-35 program once Turkey no longer possesses the S-400, and an interim or parallel sale of NATO-compatible air defenses such as the Patriot. Turkish officials have also been exploring the Franco-Italian SAMP/T and want technology-sharing and joint production, so any broader deal could include industrial cooperation rather than just a straight purchase. Simply warehousing the S-400 is not enough. U.S. officials have long argued that any Turkish possession of the system creates an intelligence risk for the F-35. That is why options under discussion focus on permanent removal: returning the S-400 to Russia, destroying it, or transferring it to a third country. A third-country sale could be a face-saving exit for Ankara, though it would likely require Russian approval under the original contract. Trump has signaled he wants to “do something” that would satisfy President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but the legal and technical barrier is clear. If Turkey wants the F-35, the deal on the table is not activation versus storage of the S-400; it is possession versus complete disposal.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 8

Dick Durbin said in Ankara that Trump had “wisely” pressed NATO’s 32 members to spend more on their own defense, calling it “not an unreasonable ask.”
The Democratic senator paired that endorsement with a warning that actions in Trump’s second term have raised doubts about U.S. commitment to NATO, saying the summit is a chance to keep the alliance moving forward.
Trump arrived for the NATO summit after again complaining that the United States bears a disproportionate burden, citing roughly $999 billion in U.S. defense spending versus far lower totals for allies such as Britain and France.
NATO leaders have already backed a new benchmark urging allies to devote 5% of GDP to defense and related spending, putting burden-sharing at the center of the Ankara meeting.

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Fox News3h ago

Senator Dick Durbin Admits Trump "Wisely" Demanded NATO Allies Increase Defense Spending

As NATO aims for a 5% defense spending target, can the alliance survive its strained relationship with the United States?

After a controversial ceasefire empowered Iran, how will NATO manage the new security landscape in the Middle East?

With US law blocking the F-35 sale, what deal can Trump offer Turkey for its inactive Russian missile system?

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1 total

Right100%

Fox News3h ago

Senator Dick Durbin Admits Trump "Wisely" Demanded NATO Allies Increase Defense Spending

Durbin Backs Trump Push for 32 NATO Allies to Spend More as Summit Adopts 5% Goal

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