Over the next two days, the eyes of the international community will be on Ankara, where the leaders of NATO member states are meeting. Politicians and citizens around the world are anxiously awaiting the results of the upcoming meeting between Donald Trumpand Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which will focus on the sale of American F-35 fighter jets and the supply of engines for a fifth-generation fighter jet being manufactured by Ankara.

Michalis Kontos, Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Nicosia, explained that the U.S. President has already found ways to bypass Congress, on which the approval of economic and political agreements between the two countries depends. The two leaders are also expected to discuss developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East, issues about which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already expressed concern.

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At the same time, the summit is proving to be extremely important in the event that the U.S. President raises the issue of the U.S. withdrawing from NATO. Professor Kontos assessed that, despite Trump’s announcements, this is unlikely to happen, as he would lose control over many European NATO member states.

SEE ALSO: NATO Summit: The Roles of Turkey and Israel in the Region Are Under Scrutiny

When asked whether the Cyprus issue and Euro-Turkish relations are on the summit’s agenda, Mr. Kontos did not rule out the possibility of a discussion involving “many and conflicting aspects,” though he noted there would be no dramatic changes in the positions expressed by the parties.