NATO Summit 2025

The NATO leaders' summit in Ankara entered its second and final day on Wednesday with a North Atlantic Council session at the heads-of-state level, as the alliance works to shift conventional defence responsibilities toward European members while Washington retains its nuclear deterrence role.

Leaders are expected to confirm a spending pledge of 3.5% of GDP on direct defence and 1.5% on infrastructure by 2035, alongside a €70 billion military aid package for Ukraine in 2026. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend. The final communiqué will also call on Iran to refrain from acquiring nuclear weapons. Poland's delegation, led by President Karol Nawrocki, is scheduled to hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

The summit has been marked by heavy security and a ban on all public gatherings through 10 July. On Tuesday, at least 75 people were detained during protests in Ankara, including students and opposition figures.

U.S. President Donald Trump pressed NATO allies to sharply raise defense spending as leaders gathered in Ankara, singling out Spain as a "terrible partner" for refusing to commit to a 5% GDP target by 2035 and faulting European nations for not joining U.S. military action in Iran. Trump also renewed his interest in acquiring Greenland, a territory of NATO member Denmark.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the two-day summit successful and introduced "NATO 3.0," a framework shifting conventional defense responsibility to Europe and Canada while the U.S. provides nuclear deterrence. Rutte said Russia remains the long-term threat to NATO territory.

The summit's backdrop included U.S. force posture moves: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a review of European troop deployments within six months, cut 5,000 troops from Germany, and attempted to halt a rotational deployment to Poland — a move Trump himself effectively reversed. Belgium and Canada were granted more time to meet spending benchmarks.

President Donald Trump pressed NATO allies on Tuesday to channel rising defence budgets into American weapons systems, casting a shadow over a summit in Ankara where economic commitments dominate the agenda.

The US approach has already yielded nearly $120 billion in allied defence outlays over the past year, with roughly half directed to American equipment. Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, welcomed European spending efforts but warned against protectionist language in European defence initiatives. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hopes billions in orders to US firms will demonstrate the alliance's value, also favours European systems for longer-term procurement.

Tensions flared as Trump labelled Spain a "terrible partner" and reiterated frustration over insufficient allied support in the Iran conflict. The summit follows last year's Hague agreement to raise defence spending targets to 5% of GDP by 2035, a goal all European members are now on track to meet or exceed.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented each leader attending the NATO summit in Ankara with a loaded revolver engraved with the recipient's name, accompanied by a box of ammunition and a letter waiving Turkish export restrictions on the weapons.

Neither British Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took the firearms home. Starmer left his revolver in Turkey because importing it into Britain would violate domestic law. Merz's weapon was handed over to the German embassy to be properly imported and catalogued in the government's official gifts collection, a spokesman said.

The unusual diplomatic gesture drew attention for its legal complications, as the live ammunition and firearms crossed boundaries that most Western nations tightly regulate.

Portugal and 11 fellow NATO members signed a joint declaration on Wednesday pledging to assume greater responsibility for maritime security across the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and Arctic Ocean. The document, released during the NATO summit in Ankara, commits the signatories — including Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom — to significantly expand naval capabilities over the coming decade and reinforce maritime exercises across the Euro-Atlantic region.

The declaration aims to strengthen maritime command structures and improve situational awareness among allied forces.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro portrayed his country as a reliable and proactive NATO ally, noting that Portugal reached the alliance's 2% of GDP defence spending target for the first time in 2025 and has increased defence investment by €1.6 billion since the Hague summit. Portugal is a founding member of NATO.

Separately, former minister Augusto Santos Silva argued it serves Portugal's national interest to participate in an international Arctic mission and said allies must firmly reject U.S. President Donald Trump's claims regarding Greenland.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran "over" on Wednesday, signaling a sharp escalation in hostilities following a night of reciprocal military strikes between the two nations.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump described Iranian leaders as "scum" and "sick people", saying he no longer wished to negotiate. The announcement followed U.S. strikes on more than 80 targets in Iran after Iranian forces attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guard retaliated against U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. Trump warned that Washington may target Iranian infrastructure, including power and desalination plants, and could resume a naval blockade.

Oil prices surged five percent following the remarks. The U.S. has also revoked sanctions waivers that had allowed Iranian oil sales.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared a very successful NATO summit on Wednesday, telling reporters that fellow leaders expressed personal affection toward him and that he felt love in the room during Atlantic Council sessions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the alliance emerged strengthened as a defensive pact, confirmed the mood.

Trump praised the NATO summit while addressing the press alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said the two discussed granting Ukraine a license to use U.S. Patriot missiles and acknowledged the war is not the easiest conflict to resolve.

In a separate and potentially significant escalation, Trump said he would most likely strike Iran overnight, offering no further details on timing or targets.

ANKARA — President Donald Trump has signaled his intention to remove Syria from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism following a bilateral meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the margins of the NATO summit in Ankara.

Trump announced the lifting of sanctions against Damascus and suggested possible U.S.-Syrian cooperation regarding Hezbollah, shortly after al-Sharaa arrived in the Turkish capital for the second day of NATO's 36th summit. Washington previously repealed the Caesar Act and delisted Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a foreign terrorist organization last year.

Al-Sharaa described Syria's unification as a major step forward, crediting U.S. sanctions relief alongside Turkish and Gulf state support. The United States has classified Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism since December 1979.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Rome will continue providing military assistance to Ukraine, with Defence Minister Guido Crosetto currently assessing the next steps, she told reporters at a press conference concluding the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday.

Meloni also announced that Italy's defence spending has reached 2.8 percent of GDP and expressed deep concern over the situation surrounding Iran, saying she still holds out hope for negotiations. She said she does not regret investing politically in ties with the White House, despite President Donald Trump's public criticism of Italy in recent days over its refusal to support U.S. operations related to the Strait of Hormuz. Asked about a social media post Trump shared mocking her, Meloni said she would not revisit the matter.

The summit marked Meloni's first face-to-face encounter with Trump since the dispute erupted earlier this week.

U.S. President Donald Trump proposed granting Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air-defense missiles during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday. Zelenskyy called the proposal a "great idea", saying his country urgently needs the defense systems.

Trump acknowledged the plan has not yet been discussed with manufacturers Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, and noted Ukraine would quickly learn the complexity involved in production. In a separate move to bolster Kyiv's defenses, Norway announced a contribution of 3 billion kroner to Ukraine's air-defense capabilities. Trump said he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Wednesday.

The talks come as the war intensifies: Ukrainian drones struck Russian oil refineries in Saratov and Nizhnekamsk overnight, while a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv on July 7 killed two people and wounded roughly 20. Civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2026 remain significantly higher than in the same period last year.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Monday about a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, saying both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky want a deal to end the war that began in February 2022. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump described the conflict as largely a drone war and noted that both leaders were difficult negotiators, comparing the fighting to children brawling in a park.

The diplomatic push followed a near-90-minute phone call between Trump and Putin on U.S. Independence Day, during which Trump offered to mediate. Moscow has signaled it seeks a settlement that preserves its control over the Donbas, while claims that Russian forces captured the city of Kostiantynivka remain disputed by Kyiv. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are reportedly continuing negotiations.

Zelensky, who joined Trump in addressing journalists in Ankara, said there were realistic prospects for an end to the war. Both leaders had earlier congratulated Washington on its 250th independence anniversary.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ruled out any prospect of a Russian victory in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end the war, saying the choice now rests with the Kremlin. Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Merz pledged continued support for Kyiv as Berlin spearheaded a European initiative to channel €70 billion in aid to Ukraine this year and next, part of a broader €140 billion military assistance package planned for 2026–2027.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending the summit, renewed his push for NATO membership and is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy also signed three new drone cooperation agreements with Denmark, Estonia, and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, senior German lawmakers stressed the need to involve Trump in resolving the conflict, and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius reported progress in talks with Washington on acquiring Tomahawk cruise missiles. On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces struck 19 tankers from Russia's shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov over the past 72 hours.

President Donald Trump announced plans to suspend all bilateral trade with Spain, escalating a public dispute over allied defence spending during a NATO summit in Ankara.

Speaking at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump dismissed Spain as a "lost cause" and a "terrible partner" within the alliance. He singled out Madrid's refusal to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP and suggested expelling Spain from NATO over what he called inadequate financial contributions. The U.S. president has reportedly instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to enforce the trade stoppage.

The rupture follows Madrid's earlier refusal to allow U.S. forces to use Spanish military bases in connection with the war in Iran, a stance shared by several European nations.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has endorsed the latest American military strikes on Iran as "absolutely necessary", offering the alliance's strongest public backing for Washington's escalation as a NATO summit opens in Ankara, Turkey.

The United States struck more than 80 Iranian targets, including 60 vessels belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in retaliation for Iranian fire on civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran responded by launching attacks on 85 US-linked military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Rutte's remarks, delivered as alliance leaders gather in the Turkish capital, underscore Western support for the American campaign and signal that the widening confrontation will dominate the summit agenda.

A Spanish judge has denied Begoña Gómez permission to attend a NATO summit in Ankara, ruling that Turkey's absence from the EU's area of freedom, security, and justice precludes adequate police and judicial cooperation. Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, had been invited by Emine Erdoğan, the Turkish president's spouse.

Judge Antonio Viejo, substituting for Judge Juan Carlos Peinado — who imposed precautionary measures including passport surrender and a travel ban — authorised Gómez to travel to London from 8 to 10 July for her daughter's graduation, citing strong judicial cooperation between Spain and the United Kingdom.

Gómez faces charges of embezzlement, influence-peddling, and business corruption linked to a university chair. Government minister Félix Bolaños criticised the ruling, insisting there is no flight risk, while opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo warned it damages Spain's reputation at the summit.

Five NATO member states are projected to exceed the alliance's new 3.5% of GDP defense spending target in 2026, as military budgets surge across Europe. Lithuania leads the alliance at an estimated 5.33% of GDP, followed by Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Greece — all five surpassing the 5% mark.

The 3.5% benchmark, agreed at NATO's 2025 Hague summit with a 2035 deadline, arrives as European allies and Canada are set to spend $777 billion on defense this year, an 11% increase from 2025. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged allies to channel funds into Patriot systems, drone technology, and ammunition. Separately, Britain and the Netherlands signed a £2.4 billion naval agreement at the Ankara summit on Tuesday to jointly build amphibious transport ships.

Not all members are keeping pace. Slovenia is expected to fall below 2% of GDP this year, while Germany's spending is projected to rise 25.5% to 2.69%. The Czech Republic, which fell short in 2025 at 1.86%, is estimated to meet the older 2% threshold in 2026 at 2.01%.

President Donald Trump used the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday to renew his assertion that Greenland should fall under American control rather than remain with Denmark, arguing the island is critical to US national security and that Copenhagen has failed to invest sufficiently in the territory.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back, stating that Greenland is not for sale and that she expects all allies to respect Danish sovereignty.

The summit also saw Trump announce that Washington would lift sanctions on Turkey dating back to 2000 and consider readmitting Ankara to the F-35 fighter programme. He separately threatened to withdraw all US troops from Europe, saying the continent has changed dramatically over the past two decades, and claimed to have held productive talks with Russian and Ukrainian leaders seeking to end their conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, accusing Rome of withholding support during Washington's military operation involving Iran. Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump claimed Italy refused to assist with efforts related to the Strait of Hormuz and said Meloni had "made a mistake." He also criticised Germany, France, and the UK for similar refusals, while praising Erdogan for Turkey's constructive role.

Trump escalated the dispute by posting a photo of himself and Meloni on Truth Social captioned "Restraining order needed". He expressed deep disappointment with NATO more broadly.

Italy declined to engage further. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome would not respond to such statements. A source close to Meloni ruled out any snub, saying she would greet Trump "with a smile" at the summit. Italy had earlier denied U.S. aircraft landing rights at the Sigonella base in Sicily.

US President Donald Trump announced plans to lift sanctions on Turkey and said his administration would consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, marking a significant shift in bilateral relations.

The announcement came during a joint media appearance with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara on Tuesday. Trump stated the sanctions under CAATSA targeting Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries would be removed, while Erdogan said Trump had personally promised to resolve the dispute.

Turkey was expelled from the F-35 programme in 2019 after acquiring Russian S-400 air defence systems. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the potential sale, warning it would disrupt regional power balances and could enable Turkish aggression.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen opened a summit in Ankara on Tuesday urging a massive expansion of Europe's defence industrial base to match Russia's war economy. Rutte, meeting EU leaders ahead of the two-day summit, said the alliance must become more European and called for a defence industry revolution.

Von der Leyen outlined financial plans including up to €800 billion mobilised by 2030 under a ReArm Europe initiative and a €150 billion SAFE lending programme open to non-EU partners. Allies pledged €35 billion over five years for counter-drone defences and announced new aircraft for troop and cargo transport.

The Netherlands announced new defence investments, including joint amphibious ship purchases with Britain, collaboration on AWACS radar aircraft replacement, and Stinger and AMRAAM missile production with allies. The summit, running through 8 July, takes place against a backdrop of tension following a US strike on Iran and reduced American troop levels in Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded urgent deliveries of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles at a NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday, following two Russian missile attacks on Kyiv in less than a week that killed more than 50 civilians. Ukraine's air force intercepted most drones during Monday's assault but failed to down any ballistic missiles.

Zelensky, who is scheduled to meet Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit, argued that Ukraine must become a NATO member and urged Europe to develop its own mass-produced air defence systems. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged member states to ensure Ukraine receives what it needs.

Kyiv has escalated long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, hitting an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, more than 2,500 km from the border. Zelensky claimed no major Russian refinery remains unstruck, while Moscow accused Ukraine of terrorism over the campaign.