By Anietie anii-bassey
President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for this year’s NATO summit, where alliance leaders are seeking to strengthen transatlantic security ties through a series of multibillion-dollar defense agreements while addressing longstanding American demands for greater military spending by European allies.
The two-day summit comes at a pivotal moment for the 32-member alliance as it faces growing security challenges from Russia, instability in the Middle East, and increasing pressure from the United States for Europe to shoulder a greater share of the burden for its own defense.
Shortly after arriving in the Turkish capital, Trump was expected to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose government is hosting the annual gathering. Erdoğan personally welcomed the U.S. president at a military air base before both leaders headed to the summit venue, where several contentious issues are expected to dominate discussions.
For years, Trump has criticized NATO members for relying too heavily on American military power while failing to meet defense spending commitments. During both his previous presidency and his return to office, he has repeatedly argued that European nations must invest more heavily in their own armed forces rather than depending on Washington for security.
In what many observers viewed as an effort to demonstrate that the alliance is responding to those concerns, NATO officials announced a series of major military procurement projects involving billions of dollars in new defense investments.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described the new agreements as a crucial step toward strengthening the alliance’s collective defense capabilities, calling the investments “money well spent.”
Speaking before defense ministers, military officials and representatives from the defense industry, Rutte emphasized that NATO members must convert their economic strength into military readiness as global security threats continue to evolve.
He said the alliance needs to move rapidly from planning to production by investing in advanced weapons systems, missile defenses, surveillance technologies and modern military equipment.
Although NATO coordinates collective defense among its members, it does not directly own military forces beyond a limited number of jointly funded assets. Most weapons, aircraft and equipment remain under the control of individual member nations.
One of the summit’s most significant announcements involved replacing NATO’s aging fleet of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which have served for nearly five decades.
Swedish defense manufacturer Saab will provide up to ten new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft under a procurement agreement involving ten NATO countries.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the agreement as a proud achievement for both Sweden and the alliance, noting that the advanced surveillance aircraft will be produced within NATO member states and serve the alliance as a whole.
The GlobalEye platform is expected to significantly improve NATO’s ability to monitor airspace, detect potential threats and coordinate military operations across Europe and beyond.
Another major announcement focused on expanding NATO’s surveillance capabilities through the acquisition of additional Triton reconnaissance drones.
Under a separate multinational agreement involving four countries, the alliance plans to purchase up to five new high-altitude surveillance drones to strengthen intelligence gathering and early warning capabilities.
Meanwhile, representatives from fifteen NATO nations also announced a joint effort to purchase new aerial refueling and military transport aircraft from European aerospace manufacturer Airbus.
The agreements are intended not only to improve military readiness but also to strengthen defense industries on both sides of the Atlantic by creating new manufacturing jobs and expanding production capacity.
Some of the defense investments will receive financial support through the European Union’s defense financing program, which provides low-interest loans for military modernization projects and could make as much as $170 billion available for eligible investments.
Rutte said Europe must ensure that financial resources are translated into practical military capabilities, stressing the need for more drones, missiles, interceptor systems and advanced defense technologies.
American officials attending the summit also urged allies to accelerate military production.
Michael Duffy, the U.S. Undersecretary of Defense, said defense manufacturing must increase across NATO countries to meet future security demands.
He added that the United States intends to expand defense exports to allied countries while also working with European partners to increase industrial production capacity.
Despite the announcements, some observers noted that several of the projects unveiled during the summit had already been under discussion or previously approved before this week’s gathering.
No official overall value for the new defense contracts was immediately released during Tuesday’s presentations, although NATO officials indicated the combined investments amount to tens of billions of dollars.
The alliance’s renewed emphasis on military spending comes after Rutte recently presented data highlighting that European allies and Canada have collectively increased defense expenditures by approximately $1.2 trillion since 2017, a figure aimed at demonstrating that NATO members are responding to Washington’s repeated calls for greater burden-sharing.
Nevertheless, Trump appeared unconvinced that enough progress has been made.
Speaking before arriving in Turkey, the president expressed disappointment with several NATO allies for declining to participate in recent military operations involving Iran.
He said the United States does not depend on allied financial contributions but expects unwavering political loyalty from its partners.
Beyond defense spending, one of the most closely watched issues surrounding Trump’s visit concerns the future of advanced American fighter jet sales to Turkey.
Turkey was removed from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 after purchasing the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, a move that prompted sanctions from Washington and raised concerns among other NATO members.
However, Trump has recently suggested that his administration may reconsider allowing Turkey to acquire the fifth-generation aircraft, reflecting his generally positive relationship with Erdoğan.
The possibility has generated concern in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly urged the United States not to approve F-35 sales to Turkey, arguing that such a move could alter the regional balance of military power.
Netanyahu pointed to Erdoğan’s repeated criticism of Israel and his strong support for the Palestinian cause, warning that transferring the advanced aircraft could undermine Israel’s long-standing military advantage in the Middle East.
Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated sharply since the outbreak of the Gaza war.
Erdoğan has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide during its military campaign in Gaza, an allegation strongly rejected by Israel.
The conflict began after Hamas launched its October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages.
Security was significantly tightened across Ankara for the summit.
Turkish authorities imposed restrictions on public demonstrations and deployed large numbers of police around government buildings and conference venues hosting NATO leaders.
Despite the security measures, a small group of protesters gathered in the capital on Tuesday before being surrounded by police.
A Turkish legal association later reported that several student activists and three lawyers were detained during the demonstration.
The broader focus of this year’s summit remains the future of NATO itself.
The Trump administration has made clear that it expects European countries to assume far greater responsibility for defending the continent while the United States increasingly shifts its strategic attention toward China and the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon has promoted what officials describe as “NATO 3.0,” a vision in which European allies significantly expand their military capabilities, allowing the United States to concentrate more resources on emerging challenges in Asia.
However, increasing defense budgets remains politically difficult for many governments facing economic pressures, rising public debt and competing domestic priorities.
Several European leaders continue to debate how to finance higher military spending without reducing funding for healthcare, education and social welfare programs.
The war in Ukraine also remained central to summit discussions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used the gathering to renew his appeal for Ukraine to become a full NATO member, arguing that years of combat against Russian forces have transformed Ukraine into one of Europe’s most experienced militaries.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s armed forces have demonstrated remarkable resilience, innovation and effectiveness on the battlefield, including conducting long-range strikes against Russian military infrastructure and energy facilities.
He stated that Ukrainian forces continue to inflict significant losses on Russian troops each month but emphasized that Ukraine takes no satisfaction in the human cost of the conflict.
Describing the war as one his country never sought, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is fighting solely to defend its sovereignty and protect Europe from continued Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, concerns continue to grow among several NATO members, particularly in Northern and Eastern Europe, that Russia could expand its campaign beyond Ukraine through hybrid warfare tactics, including cyberattacks, sabotage operations, disinformation campaigns and other forms of unconventional conflict.
Those concerns have added urgency to NATO’s efforts to strengthen collective defenses, modernize military capabilities and reinforce cooperation among member states as the alliance confronts one of the most challenging security environments since the end of the Cold War.