NATO Closes Ankara Summit With $80B Ukraine Pledge
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- Trump declared the US-Iran MoU "over" after dozens of US strikes on Iran, then attacked NATO allies for not joining the war, calling Spain "a wasted cause" and ordering Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off trade with Madrid.
- NATO pledged €70bn ($80bn) in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukraine, committing to sustain equivalent levels in 2027, while Trump said the US would license Ukraine to produce Patriot missile systems domestically.
- NATO leaders agreed to increase defence spending with more than $50bn in new procurements focused on air and missile defence, uncrewed systems, and AI — but only 5 of 32 members are projected to meet the 3.5% GDP core defence goal in 2026.
- Trump renewed his push to take over Greenland, claiming it is "very important" for the US but "not important for Denmark," prompting Danish PM Mette Frederiksen to declare Greenland "not for sale" and the EU to affirm the territory's future belongs to Greenlanders and Danes.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the US strikes as "absolutely necessary" and called the alliance "truly transformed," while the final declaration called on Iran to respect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and barred Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Why it matters: The summit exposed a paradox: Trump demanded allies spend more while threatening trade with Spain and reviving his Greenland takeover pitch. With only 5 of 32 NATO members projected to hit the new 3.5% GDP defence target, Europe's ability to actually deliver on spending is now the alliance's real stress test.
