NATO Ankara Summit: Allies Brace for Trump Disruption
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- Trump has intensified longstanding criticism of NATO allies, lambasting them for inadequate support in what he calls Washington's "war of choice" with Iran, alongside announcements that the US will withdraw more troops and weapons from Europe and renewed speculation about pulling the United States out of NATO entirely.
- Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on whether the US would honour Article 5's mutual defence pledge — the alliance's cornerstone — forcing allies to weigh appeasement against standing up to him while pursuing greater autonomous defence capacity.
- After Trump shut off the US aid pipeline to Ukraine, the European Union finalised a 90 billion euro support loan to Kyiv, with disbursements beginning 29 June to sustain the country in its fifth year of war resisting Russia's full-scale invasion.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited and is expected to attend the Ankara summit, alongside leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for side discussions.
- Türkiye, hosting the gathering, aims to showcase its strategic importance and defence industry, while allies are expected to report progress on the 2025 Hague pledge to spend at least 3.5 per cent of GDP on the military and 1.5 per cent on critical infrastructure by 2035.
- Alliance officials frame the meeting as a chance to incentivise follow-through on existing commitments during a "transformative moment" for NATO, even though no major new strategic direction is expected — and even though Trump's presence risks turning the show of unity into an embarrassing spectacle.
Why it matters: The EU's 90 billion euro loan to Kyiv — disbursed starting 29 June after Trump cut US aid — shows allies are already absorbing costs they never expected to shoulder, while simultaneously scaling up autonomous defence to offset his troop withdrawals and doubts about Article 5. The Ankara summit is meant to prove the alliance still holds, but the pressure points are fiscal, military and political all at once.
