ANKARA: NATO leaders unveiled billions of dollars in arms deals in Turkey on Tuesday, sending a message that they are heeding US calls to spend more to defend Europe, even as President Donald Trump said he felt let down.In a meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said he would have boycotted the NATO summit altogether if he did not have a warm relationship with the Turkish leader, and he did not rule out further troop withdrawal from Europe. He said, “Okay, we’re going to see. I was very disappointed with NATO.” Trump said “we weren’t treated well” by the allies, even as he reiterated that he did not want or need their help. “Before I asked, they said they wouldn’t be there, and we’ve invested trillions in NATO,” Trump said.Trump announced that Washington would lift sanctions on Turkey that were imposed in 2020 over Ankara’s purchase of Russian air defense missiles. He also expressed willingness to sell Turkey F-35 fighter aircraft. The move would be a big signal for Erdogan and would resolve a long-standing strain in bilateral relations.Trump’s emphasis on Greenland:Trump has insisted that Greenland should be controlled by the United States rather than NATO ally Denmark, causing deep tension in Europe. Trump said the island is “an important part” for the US, as he reiterated his claim that it is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships and said he would not let Greenland be threatened by them.Need for industrial revolution: NATO Secretary GeneralNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that the Europeans had made a “staggering” increase in defense spending. Ahead of Trump’s arrival, Rutte trumpeted a series of initiatives and deals at a defense industry forum, and called for a “revolution” in the defense industry across the alliance while warning China, North Korea and Iran against Russia’s massive military spending. “We don’t have the luxury of time. We need capabilities now to make sure we’re prepared.” The security situation demands it,” Rutte said.“The rumble of machinery should become a roar.” According to a NATO official, the deal, estimated to be worth at least $50 billion, includes European countries purchasing surveillance drones from US company Northrop Grumman and NATO purchasing aircraft from Sweden’s Saab.‘Melonie is a good person’Trump described Italian PM Meloni as a ‘good man’ but criticized him for failing to help in the conflict with Iran. Trump said, “She refused to get involved, so my relationship with her soured a little bit. But I like her. I think she’s a good person. But I think she made a mistake.” agencies