NATO is preparing to announce major defence agreements worth tens of billions of dollars in Ankara ahead of a high profile summit with US President Donald Trump. The announcement is expected during a NATO defence industry forum, where European allies aim to demonstrate their commitment to increasing military spending and strengthening the alliance’s defence capabilities.
The summit will bring together NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Trump and other alliance leaders. Discussions are expected to focus on regional security, defence cooperation and future military planning as NATO responds to growing global security challenges.
Speaking before the summit, Mark Rutte said European countries had made significant increases in defence spending, driven by security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continued pressure from President Trump for allies to contribute more to collective defence. According to NATO, European members and Canada increased defence spending by approximately 20 percent during 2025, adding around 90 billion dollars compared to the previous year.
President Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO members for relying too heavily on the United States for security. In recent months, he also questioned the alliance’s level of support during the conflict involving Iran, suggesting that some member states were not doing enough to assist Washington. These remarks have renewed concerns among European leaders about the future direction of the alliance.
Several European governments are expected to reveal new defence partnerships during the forum. The Netherlands is set to announce military projects worth more than 3 billion euros, including joint air defence cooperation with Belgium and naval programmes with the United Kingdom.
Reports also suggest that NATO plans to modernise its airborne surveillance capabilities by replacing its ageing AWACS aircraft with Saab GlobalEye surveillance planes. The move would represent one of the alliance’s most significant defence upgrades in recent years.
Alliance officials hope the major defence announcements will reinforce unity before the leaders begin formal summit discussions, where issues including European security, Iran, Ukraine and future NATO commitments are expected to dominate the agenda.
