President Donald Trump plans to use the NATO summit in Ankara to pressure alliance members to increase their defence spending more rapidly and reach the agreed goal of allocating five percent of their GDP to military budgets. Senior White House officials have indicated that Trump expects immediate action from member countries to strengthen NATO's collective defence capabilities in response to evolving global threats.
Trump will arrive in Turkey ahead of the summit to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for bilateral talks. During the summit, he will engage in working sessions with NATO leaders and hold separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The summit will also feature a social dinner and conclude with a press conference before Trump returns to the United States.
The US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew G. Whitaker, emphasized that the Ankara gathering will assess the progress members have made since last year’s Hague summit, where increased defence commitments were made. While nearly $139 billion in additional defence spending has been pledged by allies, Whitaker highlighted an uneven pace of contribution. Poland, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic states are leading these efforts, whereas Germany is expected to meet the target only by 2029.
Whitaker stressed the importance of all NATO members showing “meaningful upward trajectories” in their spending to ensure equitable burden sharing. Beyond increasing budgets, NATO countries must also boost defence manufacturing on both sides of the Atlantic. Investments should extend to both traditional military capabilities and cutting-edge technologies to maintain an effective deterrence posture.
He noted the strategic goal of shifting more responsibility for conventional defence in Europe to European allies and Canada, allowing the US to focus on its global commitments. The role of the United States as a NATO member remains firm, but Washington demands capable and interoperable partners to sustain the alliance’s collective military strength.
The White House’s Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly described the summit as part of a broader transformation of NATO under President Trump’s leadership. The shift aims to reduce member reliance on US forces and foster greater self-reliance and shared responsibility within the alliance. Alongside spending, the discussions will cover improving procurement systems to enhance overall defence capabilities.