Heads of state from NATO’s 32 nations will convene in Ankara this week for a two-day summit. Discussions are expected to centre on defence budgets, arms production and ongoing assistance to Ukraine. US President Donald Trump is urging European partners to shoulder more of the alliance’s security burden.
The gathering follows months of friction over the Iran situation, Greenland and Washington’s intention to scale back its European military presence.
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend alongside all other NATO heads of government. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join the leaders’ dinner.
NATO foreign ministers will also meet representatives from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Defence ministers are set to hold separate talks with officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
A central item on the agenda is Europe’s movement toward NATO’s goal of allocating 5 percent of GDP to defence by 2035. Leaders will further examine ways to boost weapons output and gradually transfer defence duties from the United States to European members.
A draft declaration indicates European allies and Canada will report more than $139 billion in added core defence spending during 2025 and restate their readiness to share greater responsibility.
On Ukraine, members plan to confirm €70 billion in equipment, training and support for 2026, with comparable levels pledged for 2027. Most funds are expected to come from existing bilateral arrangements and an EU loan facility, without direct US contributions.
A defence industry forum will run alongside the summit, with governments and firms anticipated to sign contracts worth tens of billions of dollars. Participants are also expected to address the Iran conflict, stressing that Tehran must not acquire nuclear arms and must uphold navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz.
As host, Turkey intends to highlight its expanding defence sector and seek the lifting of intra-alliance trade limits. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is likely to explore closer cooperation with France and Italy and to ask President Trump to end US sanctions and restore Turkey’s participation in the F-35 programme.
