NATO allies are set to showcase surging defense spending at a summit in Ankara, Turkiye, on Tuesday, hoping to placate US President Donald Trump after his anger over Europe's response to the war with Iran. The two-day gathering at Turkiye's sprawling presidential palace comes a year after NATO members pledged to ramp up security-related spending to five percent of GDP under pressure from the US leader.
NATO Chief Insists on Progress
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte insists European countries are delivering on their promise by bolstering military budgets and moving to take more responsibility for the defense of their continent in the face of Russia. "Just one year later, we already see transformational progress," Rutte told journalists in Ankara on the eve of the summit.
Trump departed Washington for the key summit late Monday, traveling with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In a bid to impress the US leader, NATO has lined up a series of headline-grabbing figures. "This is showtime," a senior European diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
New Arms Deals and Defense Commitments
At an industry forum on Tuesday ahead of the main summit, leaders are set to unveil new arms deals worth tens of billions to show Trump they are delivering on their words. Underscoring that push, Canada announced on Monday that it had selected Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to build its new fleet of submarines, a multi-billion-dollar program Ottawa framed as part of a broader effort to deepen defense ties with European NATO allies.
But Trump, still smarting after European countries imposed restrictions on US forces using bases to attack Iran, has spent the run-up to the summit slamming allies for not moving fast enough. "Ridiculous for the USA to continue along this one-sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal. They were not there for us!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.
European Leaders Aim to Avoid Bust-Up
European leaders are aiming at least to avoid a bust-up with the mercurial US leader that could deal a further blow to NATO's credibility after Trump repeatedly cast doubt on the US commitment to protecting its allies. Diplomats are banking on Trump's good relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and an unstinting charm offensive by NATO chief Rutte to keep his mood in check. But with Trump having had fallings out with a string of other leaders, most recently Italy's Giorgia Meloni, there are plenty of irritants that could ignite his anger.
Naval Mission for Strait of Hormuz
Seeking to show willingness on Iran, European allies spearheaded by France and Britain have put together a potential naval mission to help in the Strait of Hormuz, and countries have shifted vessels closer to the region to be ready. However, the situation remains volatile, and the Europeans want clarity on how a fragile US deal with Iran is panning out before sending in their navies.
While they will be hoping that Trump strikes a conciliatory tone, European leaders have begun to come to terms with the reality that the US is inexorably pulling back from their alliance. Washington has been clear it wants its allies to take the lead on the conventional defense of the continent and recently announced it was cutting back the assets it makes available to NATO commanders.
Shift in Mindset: NATO 3.0
European nations will look to prove they are ready to play a greater role while also trying to keep Trump and the vast might of the US military as engaged as possible. "All of this is evidence of a real shift in mindset," Rutte said. "This is NATO 3.0. A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO."
Beyond taking greater responsibility for their own defense, European countries have also taken over the support of Ukraine almost entirely as Trump has wound back US aid. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will attend the leaders dinner on Tuesday, will score a commitment from his European backers at NATO to keep at least €70 billion ($80 billion) of military aid flowing to Kyiv each year in both 2026 and 2027.
Zelensky Urges Strong Decisions on Air Defense
Zelensky, who is set to hold talks with Trump at the Ankara summit, urged the alliance to take "strong decisions" on boosting Ukraine's air defenses after a devastating Russian blitz killed nearly 30 people. The Ukrainian leader will look to convince Trump, who held a phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin ahead of the gathering, that Kyiv is turning the tide in the war and that he should pressure Moscow back into serious peace negotiations.
