WASHINGTON — The United States is pressing NATO allies to demonstrate concrete progress on defense spending commitments at this week's alliance summit in Ankara, as the Trump administration seeks faster implementation of pledges aimed at shifting more responsibility for European security onto its members.
President Donald Trump is expected to use the July 7-8 summit to press leaders from NATO's 32 member states to accelerate plans to increase defense investment, while U.S. officials emphasize that Europe should assume a greater share of the alliance's conventional defense burden, according to U.S. and NATO officials.
The summit comes after alliance members agreed at last year's meeting in The Hague to work toward spending 5% of gross domestic product on defense and defense-related measures by 2035, replacing the previous benchmark as NATO adapts to evolving security challenges. European governments are expected to present updated plans intended to demonstrate progress toward that goal.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has identified defense investment, expanding defense industrial production and continued support for Ukraine as central themes for the gathering. Officials also expect discussions on strengthening Europe's military capabilities and implementing what U.S. officials describe as "burden-sharing" or "burden-shifting" within the alliance.
The Trump administration's push comes amid broader uncertainty over the future U.S. military posture in Europe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a six-month review of American force deployments on the continent, a move that has prompted allies to accelerate efforts to fill capability gaps and reinforce their own defense planning.
According to NATO's top military commander in Europe, European allies have already moved to replace most capabilities affected by recent U.S. force reductions, although work continues in several specialized areas where alternative arrangements are still being developed.
The Ankara summit will also include discussions on continued support for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to attend meetings with NATO leaders alongside senior European Union officials and representatives from partner countries in the Indo-Pacific. Officials have said allies are expected to reaffirm military assistance and training commitments for Ukraine during 2026.
Leaders are also expected to participate in a defense industry forum aimed at encouraging new procurement agreements and expanding defense manufacturing capacity across the alliance. The summit concludes on July 8 with allied leaders expected to outline the next steps for implementing defense spending commitments and broader NATO capability targets.
