NATO leaders opened a two-day summit in Ankara on Tuesday by announcing arms contracts worth tens of billions of dollars, a move designed to demonstrate that European allies are accelerating defence investment in response to sustained pressure from Washington. The deals, disclosed at a defence industry forum ahead of the main leaders’ session, include a Dutch-led package exceeding €3 billion for air defence and naval partnerships, a Canadian submarine programme awarded to Germany’s TKMS, and a planned replacement of the alliance’s ageing AWACS fleet with Swedish GlobalEye aircraft. According to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European members and Canada have increased real-terms defence spending by 20 percent in a single year, reaching over $570 billion.

Viewed from Washington, the summit is a test of whether allies are converting budgetary pledges into operational capability. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused European governments of over-reliance on the United States and of failing to provide sufficient support during the US-led military campaign against Iran. US officials have signalled that a six-month Pentagon review of the American force posture in Europe is likely to result in a reduced footprint, with Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whittaker stating that the target is for Europe to assume responsibility for conventional defence of the continent. The White House has also indicated that Trump may offer Turkey a path back into the F-35 programme, a step that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly opposed on Monday, citing concerns over regional military balance.

European diplomats in Ankara acknowledge the need to present concrete deliverables but remain wary of unpredictable dynamics. Several governments note that they honoured commitments to provide airspace and base access during the Iran campaign despite not being consulted beforehand, and that the conflict’s disruption of Hormuz shipping has harmed their economies. A European-led naval mission for the Strait of Hormuz has been prepared, yet capitals are awaiting clarity on the trajectory of US-Iran diplomacy before deploying vessels. Meanwhile, the summit’s location underscores Turkey’s growing geopolitical weight; President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to press for the removal of defence trade restrictions and to position Ankara as an indispensable interlocutor on Syria and the wider Middle East.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending the summit and is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Trump, seeking firm commitments on air-defence systems and security cooperation. The alliance is expected to reaffirm support for Kyiv and to pledge €70 billion in assistance for the current year. A final communiqué, according to officials cited by regional media, will reiterate that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon and will call for full respect of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The summit continues on Wednesday with a formal session of heads of state and government, while the US force posture review is set to conclude later this year.