Trump Speaks at Press Conference at NATO Summit in Ankara
President Trump praised NATO unity, announced $3 billion in investment by defense companies, and held bilateral talks with Zelensky and Ahmed al-Sharaa.
President Trump praised NATO unity, announced $3 billion in investment by defense companies, and held bilateral talks with Zelensky and Ahmed al-Sharaa.
On the final day of the summit in Ankara, NATO issued a declaration reaffirming its Article 5 collective defense commitment, advancing increases in defense spending, and establishing a NATO 3.0 defense framework.
On the final day of the summit in Ankara, Turkey, NATO leaders issued a six-point statement reaffirming Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, the transatlantic bond, and commitments to increase defense spending, while expressing support for Ukraine.
At a press conference following the Ankara summit, Trump praised NATO's unity and stated that progress has been made toward the alliance members' shared goal of increasing annual defense spending to 5% of GDP.
The two-day NATO summit concluded in Ankara, Turkey. The meeting focused on defense burden-sharing between the U.S. and its European allies, the future trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the role of China and Indo-Pacific security in NATO's strategy. This summit aimed to secure U.S. commitment to NATO and push member states to increase defense spending.
The NATO Ankara Summit issued a six-point declaration, reaffirming NATO's collective defense commitment and announcing a new procurement plan worth approximately $50 billion to fulfill the pledge of increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP. The declaration also mentioned building NATO 3.0, supporting Ukraine, and addressing the broader security environment.
The NATO summit was held in Ankara, focusing on enhancing defense capabilities, defense budgets, the situation in Iran, and the Russia-Ukraine war, among other issues.
During the NATO summit, U.S. President Trump criticized Spain for refusing to provide military bases for U.S. operations against Iran and instructed the Treasury Secretary to cut ties with Spain. He also reiterated that Greenland should be managed by the U.S., arguing that the defense security provided by Denmark is insufficient.
In Ankara, following the NATO summit, Trump held bilateral talks with NATO Secretary General Rutte, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, one after another.
Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday to attend the NATO summit, his first NATO summit since returning to the White House. After arriving, he met with Erdoğan and attended a dinner for NATO leaders.
NATO Secretary General Rutte said during the Ankara summit that European allies and Canada currently invest in defense and security at a level reaching 4% of GDP, with a combined increase of $258 billion in 2025 and 2026.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivered a speech at a Washington think tank, emphasizing the NATO 3.0 concept, which is an alliance with reduced reliance on the United States but still firmly rooted in it, and stated that the Ankara Summit will demonstrate NATO's strong capabilities.