NATO Ankara Summit: Trump Unity Fears Dominate Agenda
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- NATO holds its 2026 summit in Ankara on 7-8 July, aiming to project calm and announce progress on European defense spending and industrial ramp-ups
- Trump has escalated criticism of NATO allies for what he views as their inadequate support for the US war alongside Israel with Iran, and has speculated about withdrawing the US from the alliance entirely
- Washington will withdraw more US troops and weapons from Europe, compounding fears about the US commitment to the alliance
- Trump shut off the US pipeline of aid to Ukraine, forcing allies to fill the gap, including a €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv that began disbursements on 29 June
- NATO members worry Trump is chipping away at Article 5's mutual defense pledge, the cornerstone of the alliance's founding treaty
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is invited and expected to attend the Ankara summit, alongside leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE
- NATO committed in 2025 to spending at least 3.5% of GDP on the military and 1.5% on critical infrastructure by 2035
Why it matters: With Trump simultaneously pulling US troops and weapons from Europe, cutting US aid to Ukraine, and questioning Article 5, European allies face the material task of replacing American military and financial contributions while meeting a combined 5% of GDP defense spending target by 2035—a transformation that will reshape the transatlantic security architecture for decades.
