President Donald Trump walked into the NATO summit in Ankara with one posture on Ukraine and walked out with a noticeably different one. After reviewing intelligence reports on Kyiv’s expanding long-range drone strike capabilities, Trump announced the US would grant Ukraine a license to domestically manufacture Patriot air defense interceptor missiles.
What happened in Ankara
The NATO summit ran from July 8 to July 10 in Ankara, Turkey. Trump met bilaterally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he characterized the Patriot missile manufacturing license in positive terms.
Ukrainian forces executed notable strikes against Russian oil facilities in Yaroslavl and Oryol in June 2026, and US military analysts were reportedly impressed by the range and precision involved.
European officials at the summit noted the contrast with Trump’s earlier skepticism about Ukrainian drone expertise. The shift was pronounced enough that post-summit commentary from multiple European leaders centered on Trump’s evolved posture.
