The leaders of NATO's 32 member states gathered in Ankara on Tuesday for the opening day of the Alliance's annual summit. While Ukraine remains high on the agenda, the central issue is Europe's ability to spend more on defense – and to produce more weapons.
Since last year's summit in The Hague, US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on European allies. He has repeatedly demanded that NATO members increase defense spending after they pledged to raise it to 5% of GDP by 2030.
That challenge framed Secretary General Mark Rutte's opening appeal for what he called a "transatlantic defense industrial revolution", arguing that allies must dramatically expand joint production of military equipment.
Trump arrived in Ankara shortly after 2:30 p.m. local time and was welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Their meeting was expected to focus heavily on Turkey's long-running effort to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program. Turkey was removed from the program in 2019 after purchasing Russia's S-400 air defense system, prompting US concerns that the Russian system could compromise the F-35's stealth technology.
Recent signals from Washington have raised expectations in Ankara. Trump has lifted sanctions imposed on Turkey in 2020 over the S-400 purchase, reviving speculation that F-35 deliveries could eventually resume. This prospect has alarmed both Greece and Israel. Athens sees the issue through the lens of its long-standing rivalry with Turkey, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly urged Trump not to sell advanced fighter aircraft to Ankara.
Erdogan nevertheless welcomed the easing of US restrictions, calling it "good news" and expressing confidence that Turkey would eventually receive the aircraft.
Building NATO's Industrial Base
Beyond political discussions, the summit has focused heavily on expanding defense production. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that German shipbuilder TKMS will participate in Canada's future submarine program alongside Norway, describing the project as a long-term strategic partnership across the North Atlantic. "This is truly a strategic initiative that will bind Canada, Germany and Norway together as partners in the North Atlantic region for decades to come", Merz said.
NATO members are also expanding existing multinational procurement programs. Belgium, Croatia, France, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the UK now jointly operate a fleet of 78 Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, with another 38 on order.
Meanwhile, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden plan to expand their jointly operated fleet of Airbus A330 tanker aircraft from nine to 12.
South Korea is also seeking a larger role. President Lee Jae Myung attended the summit as one of NATO's Indo-Pacific partners and used the accompanying defense industry forum to promote closer cooperation. "If South Korea's stable capability of production and verified technologies partner with NATO's longtime know-hows, the defense capabilities of both sides will be significantly enhanced", Lee said, calling for a new "Korea–NATO 2.0" partnership.
The Middle East Also Shapes the Summit
The war involving Iran remains another major topic. Foreign ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates joined summit discussions, reflecting growing concern over security in the Persian Gulf following Iran's attacks earlier this year and renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said stability in the Gulf was closely linked to Europe's own security. "Their stability and ours are inextricably linked", he said.
Reuters reported, however, that the Franco-British proposal for an international maritime mission in the Strait of Hormuz still depends on Iranian cooperation, which remains uncertain. President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Ankara after visiting Syria, where he sought to underline Europe's diplomatic role in the region.
Ukraine and Russia Frame the Summit
President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended the summit for a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.
Although NATO members reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine, several governments acknowledged that their own military stockpiles are becoming depleted. Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius told Bloomberg that the Netherlands had exhausted the military equipment it could immediately provide to Kyiv.
The Kremlin said it would closely monitor the outcome of the summit. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized what he described as the confrontational tone of statements made by NATO leaders ahead of the meeting.
President Trump said on Monday that he expected to discuss the war in Ukraine during the summit and argued that peace was "much closer than people realize". Peskov responded that Moscow remained open to negotiations and hoped US diplomatic efforts would ultimately contribute to a peaceful settlement.
(Reuters, sab)