NATO Summit in Ankara: Main Focus on Ukraine and European Defense

NATO Summit in Ankara: Main Focus on Ukraine and European Defense

On the evening of July 7, NATO’s two‑day summit began in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted a ceremonial dinner at the Presidential Palace for the leaders of the alliance’s 32 member states. In addition to NATO leaders, the heads of Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as representatives of the European Union, are also participating.

The main working sessions of the summit will be held on July 8. The central topics of discussion will be continuing support for Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression and strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities. In addition, the issue of placing a greater share of responsibility for the alliance’s security on European states will be discussed. The United States emphasizes the need for a fairer distribution of defense spending and responsibilities within NATO.

Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that over the past 18 months, European countries and Canada have significantly increased funding for defense and security. According to him, these countries are already allocating nearly 4% of their GDP to this area.