The Media Line: NATO Leaders Gather in Ankara as Defense Spending Tops Summit Agenda 

NATO Leaders Gather in Ankara as Defense Spending Tops Summit Agenda  

By The Media Line staff  

Leaders from NATO’s 32 member countries, including President Trump, are gathering in Ankara for the 2026 NATO Summit, where increasing defense spending, expanding defense production and shifting more of Europe’s security burden away from the US are expected to top the agenda.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to join NATO leaders for a dinner on Tuesday evening.  

President Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO, arguing that European allies rely too heavily on the US for defense. His administration has pressed European governments to increase defense spending and assume greater responsibility for the continent’s security.  

European leaders are expected to emphasize progress toward a commitment made at last year’s summit in The Hague to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense and defense-related measures by 2035.  

“In 2025, European Allies and Canada increased their investments in core defense requirements by more than $139bn,” leaders are expected to state in a summit declaration, according to a text seen by Reuters.  

“We are building the future: a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO-a modernized Alliance. European Allies and Canada, working with the United States, are assuming greater responsibility for the Alliance’s defense,” the declaration is expected to say.  

European officials are also concerned that the Iran war, and Trump’s dissatisfaction with European governments over their response to it, could overshadow the summit.  

The draft declaration is expected to reaffirm that “allies reiterate that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon and call on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”  

The program includes closed-door morning sessions, public afternoon plenaries featuring NATO and industry leaders, and announcements of national, multinational and industry initiatives in areas including space, surveillance, integrated air and missile defense, strike capabilities, transatlantic co-production and defense innovation. 

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