09 July 2026

NATO allies presented a united front upon concluding their meeting in Ankara. The concluding statement indicates that Europe along with Canada will assume a larger portion of defense responsibilities moving forward. Strategies were outlined for substantial funding in the defense sector and updating the military capabilities of participating nations. Additionally, 140 billion euros in military support over two years was committed to Ukraine. Various media outlets offer their assessments.

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Political scientist Linas Kojala summarizes the event for Delfi:

"The NATO gathering wrapped up with a rare element these days: cohesion. This does not imply the absence of strains inside the alliance. The political climate stays unsettled and even disorderly. Yet the central takeaway holds: regardless of the turbulence, NATO will chart a path ahead. The US endorsement of the final statement shows that America prefers not to disengage entirely, even as duties shift among members. All forecasts of 'NATO's demise' prove overstated."

Handelsblatt notes that scant traces remain of the alliance's former character:

"Once more the outspoken president voiced disdain for transatlantic counterparts, despite European efforts to soothe tensions. This leaves the question of what endures in the Western defense pact when trust in American dedication has eroded on this side of the Atlantic. The collective defense pledge in Article 5 stands as a delicate shoot sustained less by treaty text than by confidence among partners who once held shared principles. That confidence has already vanished."

El Mundo views the results favorably:

"The NATO meeting in Ankara wrapped up with more gains than setbacks. Amid Donald Trump's repeated warnings of US withdrawal from the alliance, political cohesion was upheld, at least temporarily. Europe's chief gain lies in gaining breathing room to bolster defenses without facing Russia's threat alone after losing its primary backer. Trump continues as an ongoing factor of unpredictability. This compels Europe to advance political integration and military self-reliance with greater determination and pace, ironically spurred by Trump himself."

Avvenire expresses concern over the growing focus on militarization:

"Mark Rutte exemplifies this trend. He nods eagerly as Donald Trump claims credit for fresh strikes on Iran. He offers approving smiles when the businessman criticizes Spain, a fellow member. Above all, he discusses a trillion-dollar arms agreement with youthful zeal, praising advanced munitions, drones, frigates and missiles. Yet Rutte represents only the surface of a zeal that proves hard to restrain. Even European institutional heads show no restraint. It appears all sense of the issue's weight and the current historical context has faded."

Milliyet highlights that Ankara's main success was economic rather than diplomatic:

"In this new era of neo-mercantilism, security and economics have fused. The arms sector, technology, energy, artificial intelligence and supply networks now interconnect. Should Turkey capitalize on this shift and turn its strategic position into an economic framework that yields high-tech products, expands exports and climbs global value chains, the summit's enduring gains will prove economic rather than diplomatic."

Corriere della Sera observes that Ukraine achieved significant progress:

"A year and a half earlier Volodymyr Zelensky faced humiliation from Donald Trump and J.D. Vance at the White House. Ukraine's citizens, forces and technological creativity have since altered battlefield dynamics, which always registers with Trump. The Pentagon first recognized Ukraine as a strategic asset and became a client to gain drone expertise. In Ankara, Trump even proposed a license enabling domestic production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. This marks a notable reversal."