Trump among NATO leaders to make ‘ironclad commitment’ on defence at next week’s summit, document shows
SkimNews Take
Language this emphatic from all 32 members suggests underlying doubt about durability — unanimous pledges with superlatives like "ironclad" often signal exactly the commitments least trusted to hold without restating.
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- NATO leaders including Trump will affirm an "ironclad commitment" to collective defence under Article 5 at the Ankara summit on July 7-8, per a declaration text approved by ambassadors of all 32 members on Friday
- The declaration pledges €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026 and "at least equivalent levels" of support in 2027, still subject to final approval by leaders at the summit
- Trump, who previously accused NATO members of underspending and said he was considering quitting the alliance, is now backing the commitment after clashing with European leaders over the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran
- The text declares Russia a "long-term threat" to "Euro-Atlantic security and stability" and credits European allies and Canada with delivering on defence-spending pledges from last year's Hague summit
- The declaration also states that Iran "must never have a nuclear weapon" and calls on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
Why it matters: Trump, who once threatened to quit NATO, is now signing onto an 'ironclad commitment' to Article 5 and backing €70 billion in Ukraine military aid — a sharp reversal from his recent posture. The declaration's language calling Russia a 'long-term threat' and naming Iran on the Strait of Hormuz locks the U.S. into positions Trump himself had undermined months earlier.
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