Bloomberg: Trump – Erdogan haggle at the White House over Russian oil and F-35

United States President Donald Trump has enactment unit connected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to halt lipid supplies from Russia, portion leaving unfastened the anticipation of Ankara acquiring the F-35 combatant jets, arsenic the 2 leaders sought to resoluteness a bid of long-standing differences that person strained relations betwixt the 2 NATO allies.

“I would similar to halt buying immoderate lipid from Russia arsenic agelong arsenic Russia continues this penetration of Ukraine,” Trump said Thursday adjacent to Erdogan successful the Oval Office.

The comments travel amid the U.S. president’s continued unit connected allies to reduce Russian energy imports to bounds Kremlin backing for its warfare against Ukraine. Trump this week reiterated his content that Kiev tin execute triumph implicit Moscow by expanding unit connected Vladimir Putin.

Erdogan’s sojourn to the White House – the archetypal successful six years – was an accidental for a rapprochement betwixt the US and Turkey arsenic the 2 countries effort to negociate defence deals, determination conflicts and contention with Russia and China.

Trump said helium would sermon with Erdogan Ankara’s petition to rejoin the F-35 program, but made nary commitment. He added that if the gathering turns retired positively, sanctions against Turkish officials could beryllium lifted “almost immediately.”

When asked aft the gathering whether it had paved the mode for a woody connected the F-35, Trump avoided giving a wide answer: “I could easy bash it if I wanted to. We mightiness bash it.” He added that “it depends, he’ll bash thing for us, too,” without giving further details.

He added that “it depends, he’ll bash thing for us.

The 2 countries person been astatine likelihood for years implicit Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program. Turkey, an archetypal spouse successful processing the fighter, was excluded from the programme erstwhile it purchased the Russian S-400 aerial defence system, prompting legislature sanctions that stay successful place. Trump has hinted that a compromise is possible, portion Ankara hopes a solution astir the S-400 deployment could reopen the mode for the F-35 acquisition. The US president besides said helium would sermon with Erdogan the anticipation of buying the US Patriot strategy arsenic an alternate option.

Reporter: Did Erdogan hold to halt buying Russian oil?

Trump: I don't privation to accidental that. But if I wanted him to, helium would. pic.twitter.com/0jlhcO14jZ

— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 25, 2025

The geopolitical dimension

Trump stressed that Turkey depends connected US subject and diplomatic enactment and that its committedness to NATO is seen arsenic captious to the alliance’s advancement astatine a clip erstwhile it faces caller challenges from a much assertive Russia. Equally important, according to Trump, is the anticipation that Erdogan could play a relation successful persuading Putin to halt the war. “I deliberation helium could person a batch of power if helium wants to. For now, helium prefers to stay neutral,” helium said, reiterating that cutting disconnected imports of Russian vigor is the astir effectual leverage measure.

Asked by reporters whether helium had obtained a committedness from Erdogan to halt buying Russian oil, Trump refrained from answering, but hinted that the Turkish president “will halt if helium asks him to.”

The US president besides referred to Hungary, which besides supplies Russian energy, noting that helium understands the difficulties immoderate economies face, arsenic Victor Orbán’s state is landlocked and energy-dependent.

Russia remains Turkey’s largest vigor supplier: successful 2024, it covered 66% of lipid imports and 41% of state imports, according to information from the nationalist regulator. Recently, Ankara signed contracts to diversify its vigor mix, including a 20-year woody with US-based Mercuria Energy for liquefied earthy gas.

Trump’s strategy towards Moscow

Despite his run promises to extremity Russia’s warfare “from time one”, Trump has truthful acold been met with intransigence from Putin, who has avoided nonstop talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and stepped up attacks.

Trump’s increasing annoyance with the Russian person has been accompanied by much unit connected allies, whom helium is calling connected to chopped Russian vigor imports and enforce caller tariffs connected countries specified arsenic India and China. Already past month, helium doubled the tariff connected goods from India to 50%, punishing New Delhi for its purchases of Russian energy. Instead, it has refrained from taking akin enactment against China arsenic Washington-Peking commercialized talks continue.

Europe, which needs vigor imports to conscionable its needs, continues to bargain substance from India and Turkey, countries that import crude from Russia and process it for export.

Despite the tensions that person marked their narration successful the past, Trump and Erdogan look consenting to question a caller ground for cooperation. “He is simply a antheral with beardown views. I don’t usually similar radical with a batch of opinions, but I’ve ever liked him – adjacent though he’s tough,” Trump commented.

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