08.07.2026 09:41
On the second day of the 36th NATO Leaders Summit held in Ankara, critical sessions at the leaders' level are beginning. At the summit, where defense spending, defense investments, the NATO 3.0 vision, and support for Ukraine are on the table, all eyes are turned to the messages to be delivered by US President Donald Trump. In the joint declaration, significant messages regarding Russia, Iran, and Ukraine are expected to be included.
At the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Ankara, the official sessions at the leaders' level begin today. The meetings that will determine the fate of the summit will cover defense spending, defense investments, the NATO 3.0 vision, and support for Ukraine. All eyes will be on the messages delivered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The critical day of the NATO Summit, which started on July 7 with side events and ministerial working dinners, has arrived. Whether the summit will be successful will become clear after the official sessions at the leaders' level held today.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who clearly stated that he attended the summit because of his friendship with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, signaled in his initial remarks that the meetings could be tense until the last moment.
During his meeting with President Erdoğan, Trump brought up the Greenland issue again, while stating that he did not receive the expected support from some European countries during the attacks on Iran. The U.S. President also reiterated his statements about potentially withdrawing all American troops from Europe. In NATO circles, it is noted that Trump's unpredictable attitude has been taken into account since before the summit.
A senior diplomat from one of the leading NATO countries, speaking to BBC Turkish before the summit, assessed: "Above all, the summit must be concluded without incident, and a happy family picture must be drawn."
DEFENSE SPENDING
After U.S. President Donald Trump took office for the second time, defense spending became NATO's most important agenda item. At the 2025 Hague Summit, it was decided to increase the defense spending of member countries to 5 percent of their gross domestic product.
At the Ankara summit, the progress made toward this target will be assessed, and how the commitments will be reflected on the ground will be discussed. While Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have already exceeded the set target, Turkey's ratio of defense spending to national income has also increased from 2.33 percent to 3.8 percent.
DEFENSE INVESTMENTS
One of the important topics of the summit will be defense industry investments. Increasing production capacity, strengthening infrastructure, developing innovative technologies, and establishing joint procurement mechanisms are among NATO's priorities.
The multi-billion dollar investment decisions announced at the NATO Defense Forum held on the first day of the summit are considered an indication that defense spending has begun to materialize into concrete projects.
Over the past 10 years, NATO members in Europe and Canada have spent a total of 1.2 trillion dollars on defense. The defense spending of these countries in 2025 alone increased by approximately 20 percent, reaching an additional expenditure of 139 billion dollars.
In the next phase, NATO aims to convert its members' economic power into military capacity. For this purpose, it is planned to harmonize different national approaches, reduce bureaucratic obstacles, and bring innovative solutions to the forefront.
NATO 3.0 ERA
The United States clearly stating that it will no longer single-handedly shoulder Europe's security as in the past brought the NATO 3.0 concept to the agenda. In the new era, European allies are expected to take on more responsibility and play a more active role, especially in conventional defense.
In nuclear deterrence, however, the U.S. is expected to maintain its leadership role. The Ankara Summit is considered a platform where the foundations of a stronger Europe vision within NATO are laid.
NATO officials define NATO 3.0 as a new structure where Europe takes on more responsibility, defense spending is balanced, and the U.S. maintains its strong commitment to the alliance.
SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE WILL CONTINUE
Another important topic leaders will address is support for Ukraine. The summit is expected to convey the message that support for Ukraine will continue as long as necessary. NATO also aims to benefit from Ukraine's battlefield experience, particularly with unmanned aerial vehicles and defense technologies developed against such vehicles.
Regarding Ukraine's NATO membership, no change in the current policy is foreseen. No new steps toward membership are expected in the short term.
SUMMIT DECLARATION WILL BE SHORT
The joint declaration to be issued at the end of the summit is planned to be brief, similar to the Hague Summit. The declaration will once again emphasize commitment to the principle of collective defense under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, NATO's founding document.
The text will also include that European countries and Canada have fulfilled their commitments to increase defense spending made at the Hague Summit.
The declaration is expected to include the following statements regarding the NATO 3.0 vision, which symbolizes the division of tasks within the alliance: "We are building the future: A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO. European allies and Canada, working alongside the United States, are assuming greater responsibility for the Alliance's defense."
The declaration will also emphasize that Russia poses a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security. The expression "terrorism is a persistent threat to NATO," which is a sensitive issue for Turkey, is also expected to be included in the declaration.
The issue of Iran, which has recently caused tension between the U.S. and some European countries, will also be included in the declaration. The text is anticipated to contain the statements: "Allies reiterate that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon and call on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
The declaration is also expected to include a commitment of a total of 70 billion euros in military support for Ukraine for the years 2026 and 2027.