Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- NATO leaders and key partners are holding talks in Ankara
- The meeting is taking place to review progress made since the 2025 summit in The Hague
- Last year’s summit saw allies commit to increasing defense budgets from 2% of GDP to 5%, amid US pressure
- Talks are taking place amid Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine and a fragile US-Iran ceasefire deal
Below you can read a roundup of developments from the summit taking place in Turkey on Tuesday, July 7, and Wednesday, July 8.
Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Then tap the “Star” or “Preferred” to keep DW News at the top of your feed.
Skip next section NATO Summit 2026: What to expect07/07/2026July 7, 2026
NATO Summit 2026: What to expect
Leaders of NATO‘s 32 members countries and key partners will meet to review progress made on commitments since the 2025 uummit in The Hague while also setting out a roadmap to continue delivering on NATO’s key objectives.
On Tuesday, there will be a large-scale defense industry forum that will help allies tailor their budgets to align with defense capabilities while also improving cooperation with partners like South Korea.
NATO foreign and defense ministers are also due to hold informal talks over dinner. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be attending the event as he seeks continued support and commitment from allies amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
On Wednesday, NATO leaders will reconvene for talks focused on Europe taking on greater responsibility for its own defense as the US shifts its focus to the Pacific and other regions.
Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that NATO allies, “along with partners from Ukraine, the EU, the Indo-Pacific and the Gulf will gather here in Ankara to ensure that NATO continues to deliver. Allies have already shown that they’re stepping up in a big way.”
“We are stronger together, in NATO, with our partners, to ensure the freedom and security we all hold dear,” Rutte said in a post on X.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GghESkip next section Welcome to our coverage07/07/2026July 7, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Natalie Muller Editor | Kieran Burke
NATO allies are gathering in Turkey‘s capital, Ankara, for two days of talks on defense spending and arms procurement.
Last year’s summit in The Hague saw allies agree to a substantial hike in defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP by 2035 amid pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The US leader will be among those attending, and despite last year’s commitments, he still has the alliance in his sights after European allies imposed restrictions on US forces using bases to attack Iran.
A large-scale military industry forum takes place on Tuesday morning, followed by a keynote address from NATO chief Mark Rutte.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is hosting the talks at the Bestepe Presidential Compound on the western edge of Ankara.
The summit comes amid Russia’s continued full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.
Stay with our updates as we bring you the latest news and analysis from the NATO summit.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GgZCShow more posts
About The Author
