The two-day NATO Summit begins today in Ankara, with the participation of the leaders of its 32 member states, at a time of heightened tension in transatlantic relations. According to the Guardian, the allies’ main goal is to show Washington that they are following through on their commitments to increase defense spending, following repeated pressure from Donald Trump.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has called on member states to present “clear, concrete and credible plans” to meet the target of spending 5% of GDP on defense. At the Hague Summit in 2025, the allies — with a special exemption for Spain — pledged to raise defense and security spending to 5% of GDP by 2035: 3.5% for strictly military needs and 1.5% for broader investments, such as infrastructure, cybersecurity and military mobility.
Last year, NATO members — excluding Spain — committed to spending 3.5% of their GDP on “pure” defense expenditure and 1.5% on “security” spending, such as infrastructure.
On the sidelines of the Summit, new agreements for the purchase of weapons systems worth tens of billions of euros are also expected, along with a pledge of around €70 billion in military aid for Ukraine for this year and 2027. However, the package is seen as largely symbolic, as it includes commitments that have already been announced.
The Summit is taking place as the United States is considering reducing military resources in Europe, including by up to one-third the number of F-15 and F-16 fighter jets that would be made available in the event of a conflict with Russia. At the same time, the final communiqué is expected to reaffirm the commitment to Article 5 — the principle that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Source: Guardian
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