NATO unveils billions in arms deals to prove its firepower as Trump again demands Greenland

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted that the United States should be in control of Greenland rather than NATO ally Denmark, renewing tensions in Europe even as the trans-Atlantic military alliance was announcing billions in arms deals at a summit in an attempt to appease the mercurial U.S. leader.

Trump called the semiautonomous island “an important part" for the United States, as he repeated the false claim that it’s surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships and said he won't let Greenland be threatened.

“That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

The NATO alliance was founded on the principle that its 32 members will defend each others' territory and not threaten to seize it. At the summit, European countries and the alliance's secretary-general, Mark Rutte, were already working overtime to address another longstanding Trump complaint: that European allies do not spend enough on their own defense.

Separately, Trump announced that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey that were issued after Ankara purchased a Russian missile defense system that led to the country being kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program — in a nod to his warm ties with summit host Erdogan.

Turkey's purchase in 2019 of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems sparked years of tensions, despite the warm personal relationship between Trump and Erdogan dating back to the U.S. president's first term.

Legal hurdles remain before Turkey could be fully admitted back to the U.S. F-35 program, but the removal of sanctions issued under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would help ease that process. Regaining access to the F-35s is a top goal of Erdogan.

“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?” Trump said in response to a question, saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were working on the issue.

Trump said the possibility of selling F-35s to Turkey is “something certainly we’d consider” given the countries' relationship, and that “Turkey’s been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal.”

Erdogan expressed hope that the U.S. will sell the F-35s, saying the U.S. president always stands by his word.

Trump and Erdogan showed off their fondness for each other. Erdogan greeted Trump with an elaborate ceremony involving military officials on horseback and jets overhead emitting red, white and blue smoke.

Asked what makes their relationship so strong, Trump said there’s “a chemistry that works between us," adding that “Sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him.”

Turkey's access to U.S. F-35s could complicate relationships elsewhere. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has urged Trump not to sell the fighter jets to Turkey, saying it would put Israel in danger.

“This is not a force for peace and stability,” Netanyahu said on CNN. “When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression its wake.”

There is also opposition among U.S. lawmakers to Turkey having the F-35s as long as the Russian missile defense system remains in its possession. Even if sanctions are lifted, the Trump administration still faces restrictions under U.S. law that prevents Turkey from being able to purchase the fighter jets if it owns the S-400s.

Earlier in the day, NATO showcased military projects worth billions of dollars — an investment Rutte called “money well spent" and one clearly meant to try to satisfy Trump.

Rutte was speaking to government ministers and defense industry officials at a forum billed as NATO’s “big reveal,” to the thrum of techno music.

NATO does not own weapons — these are the property of member countries — but it has 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes that are about 50 years old, along with newer surveillance drones.

A deal to replace the aging planes was announced Tuesday. Swedish manufacturer Saab will supply up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for a 10-nation consortium, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced.

“It’s a moment of great pride,” he said.

Some projects will be paid for with funds from a system of cheap loans for defense purposes set up by the European Union, comprising up to $170 billion raised on capital markets.

Representatives from 15 nations announced a multinational effort to buy air-to-air refueling and transport planes from Airbus. Then Rutte announced a four-country effort to purchase as many as five new Triton surveillance drones.

Rutte had told reporters on the eve of the two-day summit that “we will announce tens of billions in new contracts.” However, at Tuesday's event, no dollar figures were given and the display included some projects long since agreed.

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a fresh appeal for his country to be allowed to join the alliance, saying his country's armed forces are highly experienced and would boost NATO's defense capabilities.

He highlighted Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russia and hit oil refineries and other energy targets. He said Ukraine’s armed forces are “eliminating” on average 30,000 Russian troops every month. He is set to meet with Trump on Wednesday in Ankara.

“Frankly we take no pride in this,” Zelenskyy said, noting that the war with Russia — now in its fifth year — is one "we did not seek but one we are forced to fight.”

Concern is mounting among some European countries that Russia might be preparing a hybrid attack — a combination of conventional warfare with tactics like cyberattacks — on the continent as Russian President Vladimir Putin struggles to secure victory in Ukraine.

Yet a senior NATO official, speaking on the summit's sidelines, said that despite some “reckless” actions by Russia, including airspace violations over Poland, Romania and Estonia, the alliance has been successful in deterring Moscow from any potential attack on a member country. The official insisted on anonymity to brief reporters.

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Andy Wilks in Istanbul and Michelle L. Price and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looks out from his car window as he arrives for the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (Metin Aktaş, Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during a formal welcome for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Police detain protestors during a demonstration outside of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Unal)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, center, poses with NATO defense ministers and industry representatives during the opening of the NATO Defense Industry Forum on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Two men walk past the NATO logo during the NATO Defense Industry Forum at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, right, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy address the media on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon arriving for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump walks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, upon arriving for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Participants view displays during the NATO Defense Industry Forum at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

From left, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President and CEO of Saab Micael Johansson and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson during the NATO Defense Industry Forum at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, left, speaks with U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey during the NATO Defense Industry Forum at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Two men walk past the NATO logo during the NATO Defense Industry Forum at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during the opening of the NATO Defense Industry Forum on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

NATO banners in front of the Bestepe National Mosque ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, left, meets with Turkish Presidential Defense Industries Directorate Haluk Gorgun as he arrives ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, July 6, 2026. (Osmancan Gürdoğan, Pool Photo via AP)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference at the International Media Center ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Estonia's Prime Minister Kristen Michal, center left, walks with Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, left, during airport arrivals ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, July 6, 2026. (Metin Aktas, Pool Photo via AP)

A Turkish flag and NATO banners cover buildings ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) — Federal investigators have pulled intact data cards from a state police helicopter and Cessna plane that collided at a small airport in central Pennsylvania, killing the plane’s pilot.

Aaron McCarter, investigator-in-charge with the National Transportation Safety Board, called the recovery of the cards “very good news from a data standpoint” during a media briefing Friday morning. Neither aircraft would be required to have a cockpit voice recorder that is found in larger aircraft, McCarter said.

"We don't know exactly what kind of parameters are on these data cards, but in some cases we get fortunate" and the cards have robust flight data, McCarter said.

The data cards will be reviewed over the weekend as investigators try to determine why the Cessna clipped the helicopter during takeoff Wednesday night, McCarter said. The pilot of the plane was killed, and two people inside the helicopter were injured.

The crash at the small airport in Carlisle, about 110 miles (170 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, involved a Bell 407 helicopter and Cessna 150, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Cessna was attempting to land when it veered to the side and collided with the rear of the police helicopter, which was hovering above a grassy area beside the runway as part of a training exercise.

The small plane struck the tail of the hovering helicopter, killing the Cessna pilot and sending both aircraft to the ground in pieces.

McCarter said Friday the helicopter was about 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 meters) away from the runway. He said as the Cessna approached, it appeared to "be out of control."

Both pilots were flight instructors, and they have strong evidence the Cessna pilot was made aware of the helicopter nearby, McCarter said. The flight path of the plane was unusual and its pilot had been doing maintenance on the Cessna before the flight, he said.

An aviation expert who viewed a crash video said it was his impression that the Cessna had a mechanical problem that caused it to veer off-course.

“I believe (the Cessna was) experiencing some type of flight control problem or mechanical problem of some sort,” said John Cox, a former airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems.

“The nose is awfully high and the airplane was veering off to the side, which the pilot would not want to do knowing the helicopter was there,” Cox said. He said investigators would consider all factors, including whether force from the helicopter's propeller could have affected the plane's flight.

“You have to keep an open mind as an investigator, so you look at all of it,” Cox said.

McCarter said the wreckage of both aircraft have been salvaged and will be moved to a Delaware facility for examination.

The pilot of the plane was identified as 57-year-old Paul William Sokoloski.

Both helicopter pilots, Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were trapped until one pushed out a window, state police said. Corman is out of the hospital, and Mills was still recovering with a good prognosis, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday.

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)