NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said, on Wednesday 8 July, that the Ankara Summit had shown an “immense sense of unity” among the Allies, which he had “not seen for years”, despite the public criticism and threats from US President Donald Trump, who said in the morning that he was “very unhappy” with NATO.
Donald Trump once again attacked Denmark over Greenland (see EUROPE 13905/3) and Spain, which he described as “hopeless”, because the country does not spend enough on defence and refused to allow the United States to use its bases in its war against Iran. “Spain is hopeless. We do not want to trade with it any more”, he warned, reiterating earlier threats (see EUROPE 13905/5). A statement taken “calmly” by Madrid. La Moncloa recalled that the bilateral relationship between the United States and Spain was beneficial to both countries, both in trade and defence terms, and that the United States ran a trade surplus with Spain.
However, at the end of the Summit, the US President struck a much more positive tone, explaining that the leaders’ unity had been “incredible” and repeatedly telling the press that there had been “respect” and “love in the room” during the meeting. “One word out of today is unification, they love us and love each other”. And he stressed: these are “very intelligent people, driven by good intentions, who are doing an excellent job for their countries”.
According to French President, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump did not criticise the Alliance or the Allies during the plenary session.
Unwavering commitment to collective defence. In their one-page joint declaration, the leaders reiterate their “ironclad commitment to our collective defence under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and to the transatlantic bond”. “Our unity, solidarity and collective strength remain the foundation of peace, security, and prosperity for the one billion citizens in our Alliance of free and democratic nations. We remain committed to our 360-degree approach to deterrence and defence”, they add.
Under pressure from the US President, who believes Americans spend too much on the security of Europeans, and in view of the Russian threat, the European and Canadian Allies increased their spending on defence proper by more than $139 billion in 2025. “To counter the long-term threat Russia poses to Euro-Atlantic security and stability, and the persistent threat of terrorism, Allies are delivering on The Hague defence commitment”, the declaration says. In just one year, the Allies reached defence spending and defence and security-related investment amounting to 4% of their GDP, Mr Rutte recalled. The target is 5% by 2035.
Investments that are being turned into equipment. According to Donald Trump, a large part of the increases in European and Canadian spending “is devoted to the purchase of equipment made in the United States. They all want American equipment”. He said he wanted US production to accelerate, believing that his country could sell as much as it produces.
Thus, in Ankara, the Allies announced new purchases worth a total of more than $50 billion. “We (...) commit to expanding collective manufacturing capacity and working with industry to accelerate innovation”, they promise.
Beyond these announcements, the Secretary General noted that the Allies would invest $27 billion to improve NATO’s fuel supply chain in order to ensure the armed forces have the energy necessary for their operational capability. That investment “will modernise our existing fuel storage and distribution infrastructure and support new facilities, including pipelines to the eastern part of the Alliance”, Mr Rutte specified.
For his part, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced that his country would lead a European initiative aimed at strengthening funding for deep precision strike capabilities across Europe. The initiative, which will bring together Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye and the United Kingdom, will receive $50 billion from the Allies over the next 10 years to develop these capabilities. “This investment by the European Allies in long-range precision weapons will enable NATO to have the most advanced weapons in future, capable of striking targets at a distance of at least 300 km, and in some cases beyond 2000 km, with extreme precision”, 10 Downing Street said in a statement (see the joint statement: https://aeur.eu/f/ms3 ).
The Allies also pledge to continue working to eliminate barriers hampering trade between Allies and to use NATO partnerships to maximise defence industrial depth and cooperation.
These defence investments also allow Europe and Canada to do more to ensure their own security, as the United States repositions its efforts.
A so-called NATO 3.0. “We are building the future: a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO – a modernised Alliance. European Allies and Canada, working with the United States, are assuming greater responsibility for the Alliance’s defence”, the declaration stresses.
Lastly, the leaders welcomed the prospect of meeting again at their next meeting. The NATO Secretary General confirmed that it would be held in Albania, without specifying the date.
See the Summit declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/ms5 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)