NATO leaders plan to unveil tens of billions of dollars in arms deals in Ankara on Tuesday to demonstrate their responsiveness to US calls for increased defense spending in Europe before joining President Donald Trump at a summit.
European governments will announce these deals during a NATO defense industry forum, before US President Donald Trump arrives to meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and join the rest of the military alliance leaders at the summit, which begins with a dinner on Tuesday evening.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that Europeans had made “massive” increases in defense spending, partly because of their concerns about Russia, concerns that have intensified since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2012, and also because Trump had been “very assertive” in urging them to do so.
Trump has repeatedly accused European governments of relying too heavily on the United States for their defense through NATO, which has provided protection for the continent since the early years of the Cold War.
“We are now building a sustainable alliance,” Rutte told reporters in Ankara on the eve of the summit. “The United States knows it is a fair agreement.”
Rutte stated last month that European NATO member states and Canada increased their real defense spending by $90 billion in 2025 compared to 2024, bringing the total to more than $570 billion, an increase of nearly 20 percent in one year.
Iran war prompts Trump to criticize the alliance
In recent months, Trump has again leveled sharp criticism at other NATO members, accusing them of not doing enough to help the United States in its war with Iran, and hinting that he might withdraw from the alliance or ignore the mutual defense pact.
European officials insist they have largely fulfilled their obligations by allowing the United States to use their airspace and bases, even though Washington did not consult them about a war that negatively impacted their economies and was very unpopular in Europe.
The United States also announced the withdrawal of troops from Europe and reduced the forces it allocates to NATO defense plans, including an aircraft carrier, refueling aircraft, fighter jets and drones, and launched a six-month review of its military presence on the continent.
European officials say they are prepared for the possibility that Trump will repeat some of his recent criticisms during the summit, but they hope that Erdoğan and Rutte will use their close ties with the US president to keep the summit calm. However, they made it clear that they cannot guarantee a positive outcome, given the ongoing tensions over Greenland and Iran, and Trump's volatile relationship with some leaders, most recently demonstrated in his clash with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
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