Following the NATO summit, allies are preparing new defense agreements for Trump
NATO allies are hoping to hold the Alliance’s summit in Ankara without any public disputes with U.S. President Donald Trump. To that end, they plan to demonstrate increased defense spending, announce major military contracts, and extend special hospitality to the American leader.
Alliance member countries want to convince Trump that Europe is fulfilling its commitments to build up defense capabilities following last year’s agreement to increase military spending to 5% of GDP.
“This is meant to show Trump how successful he has been and that everyone is grateful to him for pushing them to do this,” a NATO diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
Although Alliance countries have until 2035 to reach the 5% of GDP target for defense spending, Washington expects to see tangible results right now.
At the same time, the agency notes that not all allies are even meeting the current 2% of GDP standard. According to forecasts, the Czech Republic and Slovenia will remain below the established level this year, which could draw the U.S. president’s displeasure.
During the summit, NATO countries also plan to demonstrate their support for U.S. policy toward Iran and security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Although Trump has reached preliminary agreements with Tehran, the situation in the Middle East remains unstable, and a possible escalation of the conflict could affect the meeting’s agenda.
To demonstrate their readiness to cooperate, France and the United Kingdom have already developed plans for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz and have deployed certain naval assets to the region, including minesweepers.
One of the key elements of the summit will be the signing of contracts worth billions of dollars between NATO countries and American and European defense companies.
According to diplomats, the announcement of major deals was deliberately postponed until the summit in Ankara so that they would receive maximum international attention.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is hoping that Donald Trump will be present in person during the signing of these agreements, as the U.S. president has repeatedly emphasized the importance of large-scale economic and military deals.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will play a special role during the summit, as he will host the meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara.
Donald Trump himself previously confirmed that the summit’s location was one of the factors in his decision to attend.
“If it weren’t for the fact that the summit is being hosted in Turkey by President Erdogan, I probably wouldn’t have gone,” the U.S. president said last week.
The organizers have also decided to scale back the official program to minimize the risk of public disputes among allies.
According to the preliminary plan, Donald Trump will arrive for an official dinner on July 7, and on July 8, NATO leaders will hold a single official plenary session, after which the summit will conclude. This format is intended to help focus on demonstrating the Alliance’s unity and avoid political conflicts.
This is reported in an AFP article.
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The Baltic states, Poland, and Romania have coordinated their positions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
