Leaders representing all 32 NATO member nations have descended on Ankara for the 2026 NATO Summit, with President Trump among those in attendance. The central issues on the table include raising defense budgets, growing defense manufacturing capacity, and shifting more of the responsibility for European security away from the United States.
A high-profile dinner Tuesday evening is expected to bring together additional world figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
President Trump has long been vocal in his criticism of NATO, contending that European nations lean too heavily on American military resources. His administration has pushed those countries to spend more on their own defense and take on a larger share of the continent’s security obligations.
European leaders are set to highlight the progress they have made toward a pledge struck at last year’s summit in The Hague — a commitment to direct 5% of gross domestic product toward defense and defense-related spending by the year 2035.
According to a draft of the summit declaration reviewed by Reuters, leaders are expected to announce: “In 2025, European Allies and Canada increased their investments in core defense requirements by more than $139bn.”
The draft declaration is also expected to include the statement: “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.”
Adding another layer of tension to the gathering, European officials are worried that the ongoing war with Iran — and President Trump’s frustration with European governments over how they have handled it — could cast a shadow over the summit proceedings.
The draft declaration is expected to take a firm stance on Iran, reaffirming 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 summit’s schedule includes private morning sessions, public afternoon meetings featuring NATO officials and industry representatives, and a series of announcements covering areas such as space defense, surveillance systems, air and missile defense, strike capabilities, transatlantic joint production, and defense innovation.
