09 July 2026

Nato allies projected solidarity as the Ankara summit wrapped up. The closing statement notes that Europe along with Canada will carry a bigger slice of defense duties ahead. Blueprints emerged for large-scale spending on the defense sector and upgrades to national militaries. Ukraine also secured pledges of 140 billion euros in military support across two years. Media voices weigh in on the results.

Political scientist Linas Kojala recaps the event for Delfi by noting that the gathering closed on a note of unity that can no longer be assumed. Tensions inside the alliance continue and the political mood stays unsettled yet chaotic. Still the central takeaway holds that Nato will chart a path ahead regardless of turmoil. The American signature on the final text shows the US is not ready for total disengagement even while responsibilities shift. Forecasts of Nato's end are overstated.

Handelsblatt points out that little of the original Nato remains after the irascible president again voiced open disdain for transatlantic partners despite European efforts to soothe him. This raises doubts about how much endures of the Western defense pact when trust in American commitment has eroded on this side of the Atlantic. Article 5 mutual defense rests on fragile trust between partners who once held shared values yet that trust has already been shattered.

El Mundo views the outcome favorably and states that the Ankara summit delivered more positives than negatives. Amid repeated threats by Donald Trump to exit the alliance the event preserved political cohesion for now. Europe gains valuable time to rearm without facing the Russian threat alone after losing its chief protector. Trump will keep generating uncertainty which pushes Europe to accelerate political unity and military self-reliance.

Avvenire expresses concern over the rising focus on militarization with Mark Rutte as its leading example. He endorses new strikes on Iran and accepts criticism of Spain while speaking with enthusiasm about trillion-dollar arms packages and next-generation weapons. This reflects a wider fanaticism that European institutions also embrace as if awareness of the issue's gravity has vanished.

Milliyet argues that Ankara's true gain lies in economics rather than diplomacy. In the current neo-mercantilist setting security and economics are now fused with arms production technology energy artificial intelligence and supply chains intertwined. If Turkey leverages its geopolitical edge to build an economic model centered on high-tech output exports and higher value chains the summit's lasting payoff will be economic.

Corriere della Sera highlights Ukraine's strong showing. A year and a half after Volodymyr Zelensky faced humiliation in the White House Ukrainian forces and innovation have altered battlefield realities that resonate with Trump. The Pentagon recognized Ukraine as a strategic asset and began sourcing drone expertise. In Ankara Trump even floated a license for domestic Patriot missile production marking a notable reversal.