NATO cohesion should be maintained at the Ankara summit

NATO leaders convene in Ankara for a summit focused on three key areas: defense spending, the capacity of the defense industry, and overall alliance cohesion. This meeting follows last year's summit in The Hague, where allies made significant declarations and pledged to increase defense expenditures to 5% of GDP by 2035.

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The US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth threatened countries that do not meet these requirements and announced that American military presence in those countries may be adjusted, i.e., reduced.

The current summit is expected to be brief, with a concise declaration anticipated. A primary agenda item is the implementation of previous commitments regarding defense spending and military capabilities. A report from the Secretary General is likely to detail progress in increasing defense budgets, with member states aiming to demonstrate their contributions, even if they haven't fully met spending targets. However, the US, through Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, has signaled strong pressure on nations failing to meet requirements, suggesting a potential reduction in American military presence in those countries. Furthermore, if European allies do not spend as promised, the US contribution to NATO may proportionally decrease.

A second major topic is the expansion of the defense industry's potential. Discussions will cover accelerating production, facilitating joint procurement, and fostering industrial cooperation. Several large defense contracts are expected to be announced, intended to showcase allies' commitment to defense spending to the US, particularly President Trump. These could include joint purchases of reconnaissance aircraft from Sweden's Saab.

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We will also have the announcement of several large defense contracts, so that European allies can show President Trump that they are spending funds on defense.

While NATO itself does not directly engage in the arms industry, this topic was chosen to demonstrate to the US, especially President Trump, the progress European allies are making in bolstering their defenses. Secretary General Mark Rutte has been actively using various instruments to highlight Europe's importance to the United States in security matters. He recently presented data at the White House showing a significant increase in defense spending since the start of Trump's second term, a metric that appeals to the president and might mitigate potential friction at the summit.

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Secretary General Mark Rutte uses all possible instruments available to him, showing the importance of Europe to the United States in the area of security.