Trump: I like Meloni, but she didn’t support us and she’s damaged our relations

“We are great friends” with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. US President Donald Trump said this whilst speaking to the press ahead of the bilateral meeting in Ankara. “He has done a great job,” added the tycoon.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence has stated that it is investing, alongside the United Kingdom, in new amphibious transport ships and, together with other NATO allies, in the replacement of the ageing AWACS reconnaissance aircraft. The Dutch government announced the plans on the first day of the NATO summit in Ankara to underline its commitment to increasing defence spending. The ministry added that the Netherlands is also playing a leading role in a European initiative for the co-production and maintenance of American weapons such as Stinger, AMRAAM and PAC-3 missiles. Defence Minister Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius said that the Netherlands and its European allies “are investing much more in strengthening European defence”, with additional funding, “but also by collaborating more intelligently”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for increased pressure on Russia following the intensification of Kyiv’s attacks on Russia’s energy sector and Moscow’s heavy bombardment, which has left more than 50 people dead in the Ukrainian capital.

“We can see Russia’s weakness; we can sense it. But that is not enough. We need more pressure, more ballistic missile defence systems and more sanctions against Russia,” Zelensky told journalists during a speech alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara.

US President Donald Trump was welcomed by his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on his arrival in Ankara for the NATO summit. According to CNN, Turkey organised a welcoming ceremony that highlighted the close relationship between the two leaders.

A blue carpet was rolled out to welcome the US President at Etimesgut Air Base, where the Turkish guard of honour was lined up. Trump has repeatedly described Erdogan as “a friend” and “a great leader”.

“I hope we can rekindle the spirit of Ankara at the summit.” This was stated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin before setting off for the NATO summit in Turkey, where he will be accompanied by his wife Charlotte. “The message that must emerge from this summit is: let us build a more European NATO, so that it can remain transatlantic,” he added.

“No other country in the world has our capabilities when it comes to defending against attack drones, such as the Russian Shaheds; we achieve an interception rate of over 90 per cent. Do you really think it makes sense for a country like this, with people like this, to remain outside NATO? With us inside, NATO would be safer.” These were the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the NATO defence forum.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has welcomed Canada’s decision to sign a contract with the German firm TKMS for 12 submarines: “This is one of the largest contracts, if not the largest ever awarded in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is also good news for our country’s economy,” said the Chancellor in a statement issued ahead of the NATO summit. Merz emphasised the importance of Canada’s decision – having chosen the German group over a South Korean competitor – “not least as a sign of transatlantic cooperation”.

“The Safe programme is open to non-EU partners. “35 per cent of the components may come from countries outside the EU, but obviously 65 per cent must come from within the EU, and this is precisely the point regarding how we strengthen the defence industrial base: with these taxpayers’ resources, we naturally want a return on investment and more jobs in Europe”, alongside greater growth “in research and development”. This was stated by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at the NATO Defence Industry Forum in Ankara. Von der Leyen reiterated “the importance” of the SAFE programme, explaining that so far “agreements with 10 countries” have been signed, for a “total of 100 billion”.

Mirror-image election campaigns. Meloni’s campaign, which – with a year to go before the vote – cannot afford to propose an increase in military spending to Trump, and that of the US president, who – at this stage – must show an iron fist in the run-up to the November elections. Taking a swipe at European ‘freeloaders’ – a group which now includes Italians (unlike before) – has become a key part of the propaganda, primarily to divert attention from the difficulties of the war unleashed in Iran by Israel. A war that is being harshly criticised in the United States. Even the Financial Times, a key reference point for the global financial world that holds such interest for the Trump camp, led yesterday’s front page with the news that the majority of American voters consider it a mistake. So what will the US president do to divert attention from that front? We shall see whether the NATO summit will provide him with a platform to divert attention elsewhere and perhaps even take it out on his allies. Meanwhile, yesterday he attacked the Prime Minister once again with a meme reading ‘a restraining order is needed’ alongside a photo of the two of them. But that no longer makes the news.

In fact, for Meloni, it is becoming almost providential for her new narrative. Making people forget her friendship with the occupant of the White House is her new mission and – to erase that recent past of smiles and handshakes – she must adopt strong, uncompromising stances. Trump is helping her; who knows if he’s aware of it. For example, her Italian-American property developer friend, Guido George Lombardi, has stated that the US president ‘received a clear message via friends’ and that this row with Meloni ‘has boosted Giorgia’s popularity’. It’s all rather absurd, given that, as the Prime Minister said, ‘foreign policy isn’t Temptation Island’, but such is life.

Oil futures are on the rise. West Texas Intermediate prices are up 0.85 per cent at $69.15 per barrel, whilst Brent prices are currently up 0.97 per cent at $72.6 per barrel.

Egypt’s manager, Hossam Hassan, said on Monday at the World Cup that the suffering of the Palestinian people is “a disgrace to the world” and urged the football world to do more to help them. Hassan had already dedicated the victory over Australia in the round of 16 to the Palestinians, waving a Palestinian flag at the end of the match. “If there is anyone who has not felt the suffering of the Palestinian people, then they have no humanity,” said Hassan in a lengthy statement in response to a question on the subject, during the pre-match press conference ahead of the round of 16 tie against Argentina, scheduled for this evening in Atlanta. “I would like to say that this is a disgrace for us. A disgrace for the whole world, not just for the Arab world; a disgrace for everyone, and above all a disgrace for those who make decisions that abandon human beings.” The Egyptian manager then called on FIFA and the players to take a more active stance in support of the Palestinian people. “My message would be to use football as a tool of soft power,” he added. “I urge all of you – the media, all the world’s athletes, regardless of who they are – to send out a collective message. Which is this: ‘Let the Palestinian people exist; let them live their own lives.’ That is what normality is.”

The Belgian Foreign Minister, Maxime Prévot, has announced that the decision to formally recognise the State of Palestine “will soon be on the table”, following Hamas’s announcement that it had dissolved its government in the Gaza Strip. This has been reported by the Belgian media, which noted that the dissolution of the Hamas government in Gaza was also one of the conditions the Belgian government had set for initiating the recognition process.

“I don’t know if we’ll be ready by Friday,” said the minister, referring to the scheduled cabinet meeting, “but the matter will be on the agenda soon.”

The difficult NATO summit in Ankara embodies all the paradoxes of this phase, in which countries that have been allies since 1949 are now striving to exacerbate every difference between them, no longer able to unite against a common enemy – post-Soviet Russia – which, despite Trump’s constant support for his friend Putin, appears to be in constant decline. The current US President’s efforts to return the world to the bipolar model that was in vogue when he wore a sailor’s uniform come up against a reality in which the Republican obsession with restoring America to its former greatness – a drive already launched by Reagan in 1980 with his ‘Let’s Make America Great Again’ – must contend with a profound internal transformation of American society and with the difficulties faced by its rivals, both Russia and China, whilst other groupings emerge, too quickly dismissed as the Third World.

Today’s United States is no longer the promised land where everyone could find their own opportunity, but a country marked by unprecedented internal inequality in income and wealth, and by an unprecedented concentration of economic power in the hands of a handful of mega-corporations in the IT sector. Today’s Russia is very different from the Soviet Union, primarily because the historically most industrialised regions are now part of autonomous states. One example is Ukraine, which stands up to the Russian giant thanks to a production system that, in the face of war, has proved capable of regenerating and innovating its offensive potential, whilst Putin’s Russia suffers from a production profile that is too heavily reliant on the mining, oil and gas, geared almost entirely towards exports (which have been hit by sanctions) and mass production not supported by adequate domestic demand. China itself is stabilising, following an impressive growth trajectory which, however, has brought with it an equally striking rise in internal inequalities, both in terms of income and in the relationship between major cities and inland areas.

The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has stated that Madrid will attend the NATO summit in Ankara with three specific priorities: preserving transatlantic unity, strengthening the Alliance’s European pillar, and keeping the focus firmly on the southern flank. “Spain wants three things from this summit,” said the Spanish Foreign Minister in an interview with the national radio station RNE, “firstly, a message of transatlantic unity. Secondly, a strengthening of NATO’s European pillar. And thirdly, a focus on our southern neighbourhood.” “Although the greatest threat comes from the east, there are also other threats of a different nature affecting our southern neighbourhood,” Albares continued, emphasising that holding the summit in Turkey would enable the challenges arising from the Mediterranean to be addressed. When asked about the apparent contradiction between defending unity with the United States and promoting greater strategic autonomy in Europe – against a backdrop of President Donald Trump’s calls to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP – Albares denied that the two objectives were incompatible. “Unity has shown that a strong transatlantic relationship is good for stability,” he said. However, he acknowledged that “our American friends are pushing us towards better burden-sharing”, arguing that the war in Ukraine demonstrates that Europe must be able to guarantee its own security. “We must ensure deterrence to protect our citizens. That is why we must strengthen NATO’s European pillar. Common European security benefits the Alliance itself. We will work towards unity and common European security,” he said.

Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet the Syrian president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, when explosions occurred near the Four Seasons Hotel, where, according to the local press, Macron is staying. The Élysée Palace subsequently confirmed that Macron is unharmed and that his visit to Damascus is continuing. Macron is the first prominent Western leader to visit Syria since Bashar Assad was ousted and al-Sharaa came to power, and his visit precedes his attendance at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Macron has played a key role in pushing Europe and the United States to lift most of the sanctions against Syria. He arrived in the country on Monday evening with an economic delegation and is expected to sign memoranda of understanding with his counterpart, as the country seeks to attract investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war.

NATO member states have announced that over $40 billion will be invested in drone defence capabilities over the next five years. They also aim to train five times as many drone operators by the end of 2027. To facilitate rapid procurement, NATO will establish a dedicated platform for drone defence systems, which will ensure that such systems are tested by NATO, compatible with NATO standards and available for purchase.

US weapons, including Abrams tanks and ATACMS and Stinger missiles, will be manufactured or maintained in Europe as part of new industrial cooperation initiatives. This was announced by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

“I welcome the fact that the United States and several of its leading defence companies have agreed on new industrial cooperation initiatives with major European players in the sector,” Rutte said at the NATO Summit’s Defence Industry Forum.

NATO is to purchase 10 new Globaleye surveillance aircraft manufactured by the Swedish firm Saab, which will replace 14 US E-3 AWACS (Sentry) aircraft that entered service in the 1980s. “We are now taking NATO’s air surveillance and control capabilities to a new level,” said NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte this morning, speaking to the press alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson: “This is a moment of great pride for Sweden,” remarked Kristersson, as reported by Swedish television channel SVT. Saab’s CEO, Micael Johansson, was also present.

Thousands of people have gathered in the Iranian holy city of Qom for the fourth day of funeral processions for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The remains of the Supreme Leader, who was killed at the end of February on the first day of the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, are lying in state at the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, a holy city home to the most important shrines of Shia Islam. Aerial footage broadcast by state television shows the streets of Qom, which has a population of around 1.5 million, packed with mourners. Inside the mosque, a religious service is being led by Abdollah Javadi-Amoli, a 93-year-old ayatollah and influential conservative Shia figure in the Islamic Republic. Further television footage shows mourners, including turbaned clerics, paying their respects to the coffins of Khamenei and four relatives killed alongside him, including a granddaughter aged just 14 months.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to hold separate meetings today with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish President Alexander Stubb at the presidential palace in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO summit. According to Milliyet, following his meetings with Carney and Stubb, the Turkish leader will personally welcome US President Donald Trump on his arrival at Ankara airport; the two will then hold a bilateral meeting, followed by a joint press conference.

NATO is set to unveil new military projects worth billions in an attempt to convince President Donald Trump that its allies are increasing their defence spending. Tuesday’s event, described as the “big reveal”, will see leaders announce deals with defence companies, many of which are US-based. It will take place on the sidelines of a summit in Turkey. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the contracts will secure essential military equipment. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the sale of F-35 aircraft to Turkey over concerns regarding the balance of power in the Middle East. The summit is focused on a stronger Europe for a stronger NATO, whilst the US is shifting its focus to China and the Indo-Pacific region.

Further reading

NATO Summit: it’s not just about defence funding – Italia is also playing its part on the southern flank

07 July 2026

“Millions of proud Iranians have shown unity in honouring Grand Ayatollah Khamenei and the legacy he leaves behind,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a post on X, emphasising: “Neither they nor our brave armed forces are intimidated by the enemy’s threats.” Referring to the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed between Iran and the United States, Araghchi added: “Paragraph 13 of the Memorandum of Understanding is clear: negotiations on the final agreement will not begin if the threats continue. Honour your signature!”

Talks aimed at reaching a final agreement between Tehran and Washington will not begin if US threats continue, Iran’s foreign minister said on Tuesday, following US President Donald Trump’s threat to “finish the job” should no agreement be reached.

“Negotiations on the final agreement will not begin if the threats continue. Honour your commitment,” wrote Abbas Araqchi in a post on X.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at two commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of today, according to a senior US official speaking to the Wall Street Journal. The incident marks a further escalation that risks complicating negotiations to end the war between the United States and Iran.

The attacks come as mourning ceremonies continue in Iran for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader who was killed at the start of the war, and following fresh threats from the Pasdaran against ships travelling along the route opened by the US Navy off the coast of Oman.