General U.S. NewsJul 7, 2026·2 min read

Trump likely to back F-35 jets sale to Turkey despite Netanyahu’s power balance warning

Indian Express – World

2h ago

Trump likely to back F-35 jets sale to Turkey despite Netanyahu’s power balance warning

Summary

US President Donald Trump is expected to back the potential sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey during the NATO summit in Ankara , a move that could reverse one of Washington’s biggest defence disputes with Ankara and test relations with both Congress and Israel. According to a Reuters report, Trump is likely to back the proposal despite unresolved legal and congressional hurdles that currently prevent the transfer of the advanced fighter aircraft to Turkey. Trump’s move reflects a warmer relationship between the US President and his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, since Trump’s return to office last year. Turkey was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 after purchasing the Russian-made S-400 air defence missile system, a decision that prompted the United States to impose sanctions on a major Turkish defence company in 2020. Congress also enacted legislation barring F-35 sales to Turkey as long as it retains the S-400 system, citing concerns that the Russian platform could compromise the security of the fifth-generation fighter jet. Reuters reported that one proposal, which has gained traction in recent weeks, involves transferring Turkey’s S-400 system to a third country. However, no agreement has been reached, and it remains unclear whether Russia would approve such a move given end-user restrictions attached to its defence exports. Trump had hinted at a possible breakthrough last month when asked whether he had any “gifts” for Turkey, replying that he would “probably do something that will make them very happy.” US Vice President JD Vance also indicated that the administration is reviewing whether Turkey has met the legal requirements necessary for a return to the F-35 programme. According to the Associated Press, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox & Friends that the United States should not sell the fighter jets to Turkey. At the same time, any reversal is likely to face scrutiny from the US Congress and strong opposition from Israel, making it one of the most closely watched defence issues at this year’s NATO summit.

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Trump likely to back F-35 jets sale to Turkey despite Netanyahu’s power balance warning

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Nigel Farage quits as MP to force Clacton by-election over gift allegations

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on Tuesday announced that he was resigning as a member of the British Parliament to trigger a by-election, saying voters should decide on his conduct amid allegations over gifts and donations. He said he would contest the seat again in Clacton and cast the contest as a challenge to the political establishment. Farage's decision comes as the UK's parliamentary standards watchdog investigates whether he breached the code of conduct for MPs. He has denied any wrongdoing and said he had not broken the law or misused public money. "I've decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. This will be a people versus the establishment by-election," Farage said, confirming that he would re-contest the coastal constituency in eastern England. "It's a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go. And that is why I will be putting my name forward in this by-election. I will fight to win, I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started," he said. He announced his resignation in a televised address released by Reform UK, the anti-immigration party that has grown in stature since Farage led the pro-Brexit campaign.

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Reform UK’s Farage resigns as MP amid funding scandal, forcing by-election

London, United Kingdom – Far-right politician Nigel Farage is resigning as a member of parliament after revelations about his financial backers, triggering a by-election in which he plans to stand as a candidate. In a fiery speech on Tuesday, the Reform UK party leader railed against “the establishment” and insisted he has “done nothing wrong” amid growing scrutiny of his funding. “I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” Farage said, referring to the constituency where he was elected as an MP. “This will be a people vs the establishment by-election,” he said. “It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go.” Farage, who has led Reform into the mainstream with zealous anti-immigration rhetoric, said he faces “yet another standards investigation” after The Sunday Times revealed he did not declare benefits paid for by a convicted fraudster. The Sunday Times reported George Cottrell, 32, recruited and paid three staff to work on Farage’s social media before the 2024 general election and has continued to allow Farage to use a five-storey Georgian townhouse he rented near Buckingham Palace. In 2017, Cottrell was jailed in the United States for his role in a money-laundering conspiracy. But Farage doubled down that the benefits were for personal use, charging that parliamentary “standards are now being used as a political tool”. “I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money,” he said, adding, “Making money is not a crime.” The parliamentary standards commission is already investigating Farage for accepting 5 million pounds ($6.8m) from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne, a gift Farage initially said would fund his private security. The Reform leader said his resignation was fuelled by what he characterised as threats to his family’s “privacy and safety” since The Sunday Times report. “I am going to need security for the rest of my life, and I cannot even tell you how grateful I am to Christopher Harborne because now I will never, ever need to worry about whether I’ve got the resource,” he said.

Trump is building a helipad with ‘carved granite’ White House seal to handle new presidential choppers

President Donald Trump said Monday that he’s building a granite helipad on the White House lawn, insisting that the landing area is needed to accommodate new, more powerful presidential choppers. Confirmation of the project came as construction crews had already begun working on the helipad on the South Lawn, where the president had UFC build a temporary arena for a cage fight celebrating his 80th birthday. He said the project would be privately funded and estimated its cost at up to $6 million. “It’s got the seal of the White House on it in granite, in carved granite,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “It’s really a beautiful thing.” The Republican president did not offer details on how long the work would take. It is the latest major construction project he has overseen in an effort to increasingly mold the White House in his own image. Some of Trump’s major White House construction projects have relied on public money, even when the president initially suggested otherwise. Still, Trump said Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin , would be paying for the helipad. Asked about the cost of the project and a timeline for its completion, Lockheed Martin responded with a statement reading in part: “This specific contribution was made to the National Park Service” and “conducted in full accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.” In 2024, Sikorsky completed a new fleet of helicopters for use as Marine One, and President Joe Biden took the first flight aboard a modern VH-92A Patriot helicopter on his way to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago — the same day the military announced Sikorsky delivered the last of the 23 new aircraft. A Sikorsky spokesperson said Monday that the new helicopters deliver “increased performance and reduced maintenance costs and time.” But Trump said the newer aircraft were more powerful than Vietnam War-era choppers that long had been used as Marine One, and the modern ones were too potent to land on the White House lawn without damaging the grass. “It’s not that the grass gets discolored — it gets ripped out,” the president said. Indeed, the new helicopters have seen limited service because their exhaust vents aim heat downward, scorching the White House South Lawn. The Marines and Sikorsky have spent years trying to find a solution to the problem, which has meant that the new helicopters haven’t been used at the White House.

Trump likely to back F-35 jets sale to Turkey despite Netanyahu’s power balance warning

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More in General U.S. News

Nigel Farage quits as MP to force Clacton by-election over gift allegations

Reform UK’s Farage resigns as MP amid funding scandal, forcing by-election

Trump is building a helipad with ‘carved granite’ White House seal to handle new presidential choppers