The Turkish capital Ankara has completed its security and logistical preparations to host the NATO leaders' summit, which kicks off on Tuesday and will last for two days.
The upcoming summit comes under intense pressure from US President Donald Trump on European countries to increase defense spending and implement the principle of "shifting military burdens" entirely from Washington to European capitals.
The alliance is in a state of uncertainty hours before the inauguration following Trump's repeated threats and the withdrawal of US troops from the continent, in parallel with his announcement of a six-month review of the US military presence in Europe.
European sources said the summit comes after months of sharp transatlantic tensions that erupted following the US-Israeli war on Iran. The war has caused the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, damaging vital energy supplies to the European continent, whose capitals have long resisted US pressure to involve it in military operations against Tehran.
European capitals adhere to standard spending plan
Ahead of the summit, European leaders showed remarkable speed of response to the White House's demands, reaffirming their commitment to a pledge made at last year's Hague summit to spend 5% of annual GDP on defense by 2035.
The discussions, which begin tomorrow in Ankara, will focus on mechanisms for implementing this pledge and accelerating military industrial production, through the Defense Industries Forum, which is being held in conjunction with the summit to document tens of billions of dollars worth of arms deals.
Since the June 2025 summit, the US president has succeeded in subjecting the alliance to his vision and reshaping it based on American interests. Despite this European compliance and budget increases, military experts assert that Europe is still unable to do without the US security umbrella and lacks the self-sufficient ability to repel any large-scale armed attack without direct intervention from Washington.
Military exercises confront the ambitions of Arctic allies
Preparations for the summit saw coordination on ongoing field measures to protect the Alliance's northern border, with leaders reviewing the outcomes of the NATO-led Arctic Guard exercise launched earlier this year.
These exercises are aimed at countering the increasing movements of Russia and China in the region, as well as containing the unconventional US threats represented by Trump's insistence on annexing Denmark's Greenland region.
Trump's stated desire to control the self-ruled island of Greenland has caused sharp diplomatic disagreements within the alliance, with the US president insisting that annexation is a strategic security necessity for the United States, prompting NATO to intensify its maneuvers in the Arctic to maintain geopolitical balance and protect the sovereignty of member states.
European Commission adopts funding for Ukraine front alone
NATO leaders have confirmed their intention to continue providing military support to Ukraine in the war, which has entered its fifth year, while seeking to maintain funding levels for 2027 similar to the current year 2026 of €70 billion. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the aid will focus on strengthening Kyiv's air defenses and preparing for the launch of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, through a European loan facility worth 60 billion euros.
The heavy financial burden of supporting Ukraine comes exclusively on the shoulders of the European budget and bilateral pledges, in light of the Trump administration's decision to completely reduce direct US funding to Kyiv and force European allies to bear the largest share of the bill for the war raging in the east of the continent.
Ankara called for lifting arms trade restrictions and restoring F-35s
The host country, Turkey, took advantage of the summit to be held on its territory for the second time in its history (after the Istanbul Summit in 2004) to highlight its qualitative leap in the field of national military industrialization.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his call for NATO members to lift all restrictions on intra-regional defense trade, focusing in his bilateral talks with Trump on the resumption of Ankara's participation in the F-35 jet program.
Through this strategic summit, Turkey seeks to zero differences with the new US administration and rebuild defense relations, taking advantage of its weight as a key link and host of the summit, especially in light of the security tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East.
Comments (0)