Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Donald Trump says the ceasefire deal with Iran ‘is over’ and threatened to cut trade with Spain
- Denmark’s PM says Greenland is not for sale in response to Trump’s demands for the territory
- NATO chief Mark Rutte says latest US strikes on Iran ‘absolutely necessary’
- Billions worth of defense acquisitions have been announced, with NATO purchasing Saab warning aircraft, Canada purchasing subs from Germany’s TKMS, the UK buying missiles from Lockheed Martin, and more
- The 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.
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Skip next section Erdogan praises allies but asks for more cooperation in opening remarks07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Erdogan praises allies but asks for more cooperation in opening remarks
As host of the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave wide-ranging opening comments on Wednesday as he welcomed all the visitors to Ankara.
He singled out the US, Germany, Spain and Italy in particular to thank them “for additional air defense support to Turkey during the Iran war.”
Erdogan called US President Donald Trump’s efforts to make peace with Iran “admirable.”
He then encouraged European member states to ease restrictions on Europe-only defense initiatives.
“Restrictions among allies on defense cooperation, especially in the defense industry, must be lifted,” the Turkish leader said.
“At a time when a model of cooperation based on common sense and reason is possible, excluding allies that are not members of the (European) Union would lead to artificial divisions,” he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GkgnSkip next section Trump says interim ceasefire is ‘over’07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Trump says interim ceasefire is ‘over’
US President Donald Trump said that as far as he was concerned, the interim accord to end the conflict with Iran is “over.”
“It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” Trump said, referring to the Iranian government and calling the leadership in Tehran “sick people,” “scum,” and “cuckoo.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GkwrSkip next section Black Sea states expand de-mining task force07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Black Sea states expand de-mining task force
Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey have used the summit in Ankara to cement expanded efforts to remove dangerous mines from the Black Sea, Bucharest confirmed.
“Protecting critical infrastructure in the Black Sea requires a complex, integrated, and long-term approach,” said the Romanian Defense Ministry.
All three countries have gas and pipeline operations in the sea they share with Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has threatened the security of these operations, with Romania in particular reporting Russian drone incursions on its territory.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GkfNSkip next section WATCH: Why NATO needs Turkey in the Black Sea07/08/2026July 8, 2026
WATCH: Why NATO needs Turkey in the Black Sea
Russia’s war against Ukraine has turned the Black Sea into one of Europe’s most important security frontiers — and made NATO member Turkey a key player in protecting vital shipping routes.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GgjHSkip next section Syrian president arrives for talks with Trump07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Syrian president arrives for talks with Trump
President Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria has landed in Turkey, where he is due to meet his US counterpart on the sidelines of the summit.
Initially invited by Ankara, Trump welcomed al-Sharaa’s presence, saying “he’s done an amazing job in a year and a half,” since ousting longtime strongman Bashar Assad.
“I have a very, very good relationship with him,” Trump said.
Al-Sharaa visited Washington in November 2025 to discuss potential aid packages as Syria attempts to rebuild from over a decade of brutal civil war.
Trump’s positive comments came despite al-Sharaa refusing a request last month to intervene in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Syrian president said his country is trying to establish its new government diplomatically, not militarily.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GkfYSkip next section DW’s Finlay Duncan at the NATO summit arrivals07/08/2026July 8, 2026
DW’s Finlay Duncan at the NATO summit arrivals
Finlay Duncan Ankara
Often at these kinds of summits the leaders that do choose to come and speak to the press, informally known as “doorsteps,” are keen to talk up the positives.
Today most focussed on their own country’s increases in defense spending.
Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, said “burdens are shifting” away from the United States and toward Canada and Europe. He added that Ottawa will go from spending 1.5% of its GDP on defense 18 months ago to 4% in the next two years.
Meanwhile, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda spoke of “financial solidarity,” saying his country is ready to take a “big part of public finances from other needs” in order to pay for “the world in which we are living.”
But this is not what the journalists gathered were asking about. US President Donald Trump‘s remarks last night, and now again this morning, dominated the questions we were all putting to the leaders who did run the press gauntlet.
On Greenland’s sovereignty and Trump’s suggestion the US, not Denmark, should control it, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told us: “The US position is unfortunately very clear on this topic. And our position is as clear as it has been all through: Greenland is of course not for sale.”
I asked Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten whether he thought the US is committed to NATO’s Article 5, the alliance’s principle of collective defense that an attack on one allied country is an attack on all.
“I’m absolutely confident about that,” came his reply.
This relatively short summit is now underway. Let’s see how it unfolds.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Gkg7Skip next section Trump ‘very upset’ with NATO, threatens to cut trade with Spain07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Trump ‘very upset’ with NATO, threatens to cut trade with Spain
Speaking alongside alliance Secretary General Rutte, US President Donald Trump said he was “very upset” with NATO over the way allies responded to his plans for further US presence in Greenland.
“I’m not happy with NATO because of what they did with Greenland, and I’m not happy with NATO because of the fact that they didn’t want to help us with the number one state sponsor of terror, that’s Iran. They were unwilling to help us,” he said.
On the subject of Iran, Trump said that he considered the ceasefire “over” but that he was still willing to continue negotiations with Tehran.
He also threatened to cut off all trade ties with NATO ally Spain, whose Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been one of Trump’s most vocal critics in Europe.
“Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,” Trump said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Gk0cSkip next section WATCH: Poland attempts to hold NATO’s front line against Russia07/08/2026July 8, 2026
WATCH: Poland attempts to hold NATO’s front line against Russia
Poland is doing everything it can to keep the United States on its side as threats from Russia continue. But with the US scaling back in Europe, what’s Poland’s plan now?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GgjESkip next section Denmark ‘ready to defend’ Greenland, says PM Frederiksen07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Denmark ‘ready to defend’ Greenland, says PM Frederiksen
Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reiterated her country’s commitment to defending “every inch of NATO,” including Greenland, amid US President Donald Trump’s renewed demands for control of the strategic island.
“Greendland is of course not for sale,” Frederiksen said ahead of a meeting NATO leaders, reiterating her comments from Tuesday.
“We hope that all, including all allies, will respect the Greenland people’s right for self-determination,” she added. “We are sovereign states and we need everybody to respect our territorial integrity and our sovereignty.”
Iceland’s prime minister, Kristrun Frostadottir, called for unity among the NATO allies, adding that Greenalnd “belongs to the people of Greenland.”
He urged members to focus on external dangers.
“Russia is their biggest threat when it comes to these NATO allies. We need to focus on us and how we stick together,” he said
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GjozSkip next section US strikes on Iran ‘absolutely necessary,’ says NATO chief07/08/2026July 8, 2026
US strikes on Iran ‘absolutely necessary,’ says NATO chief
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has backed the latest US strikes on Iran, calling them “absolutely necessary.”
“When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, we see what happened yesterday with ships being attacked, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully reacts,” Rutte told reporters at the start of day two of the NATO summit in Ankara.
The US military launched dozens of strikes against Iranian targets early Wednesday after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then carried out a series of retaliatory attacks in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The NATO chief indicated that the Middle East conflict would be on the agenda at Wednesday’s talks.
“I expect allies today to reconfirm that Iran should never ever get its hands on a nuclear capability and secondly that the principle of the freedom of navigation, so the Strait of Hormuz completely opening up again,” is essential, he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjpuSkip next section Welcome back to our coverage07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Welcome back to our coverage
NATO leaders are in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, for the second day of a summit which aims to boost the alliance’s defense capabilities.
After member nations announced billions worth of defense acquisitions on Tuesday, they are expected to sign off on a massive trache of military aid for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing ally nations to provide more air defense missiles after Russia launched a particularly deadly attack on Kyiv on the eve of the summit.
He traveled to Ankara as a guest and is due to meet US President Donald Trump on Wednesday where he is expected to push for revival of stalled peace talks with Moscow.
However, the latest US strikes on Iran will likely overshadow the gathering. Washington said its move to strike more than 80 targets was in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. That’s despite a temporary ceasefire re-affirmed by the US and Iran last month.
Arriving in Ankara on Tuesday, Trump gave member nations a dressing down, saying he was “very disappointed” with them over their lack of support in the conflict with Iran. He also revisited his desire to take control of Greenland, a sore point with Denmark and other European nations.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjkpSkip next section We’re pausing our coverage07/08/2026July 8, 2026
We’re pausing our coverage
Wesley Dockery Editor
We’re pausing coverage for now on the NATO summit in Ankara.
Stay tuned for more tomorrow right here in this blog with DW!
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjTESkip next section Merz thanks Turkey for ‘hospitality’ in Ankara 07/07/2026July 7, 2026
Merz thanks Turkey for ‘hospitality’ in Ankara
Wesley Dockery Editor
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Turkey “an important partner and ally” as he met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In a post on his X account, Merz also thanked Erdogan for the “hospitality” in Ankara.
The two leaders met as part of Merz’s trip to Turkey for the two-day NATO summit today and tomorrow.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjIwSkip next section WATCH: NATO’s race to incorporate battlefield lessons from Ukraine07/07/2026July 7, 2026
WATCH: NATO’s race to incorporate battlefield lessons from Ukraine
Teri Schultz in Ankara
NATO’s transformation commander says it’s a “question of speed” to incorporate battlefield lessons learned in Ukraine.
In an interview with DW, Admiral Pierre Vandier said the alliance wants to use innovation to get ahead of Russia’s capabilities.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GjFkSkip next section Leaders converge on presidential complex in Ankara for dinner with Erdogan07/07/2026July 7, 2026
Leaders converge on presidential complex in Ankara for dinner with Erdogan
NATO leaders and other guests of honor in Ankara will attend Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s lavish presidential palace complex this evening for a dinner preceding the main political day of the summit tomorrow.
While Trump was in the building earlier for bilateral talks with Erdogan, other leaders have started to arrive on site, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Erdogan and his wife, Emine, greeted the later arrivals at the entrance to the lavish building, after they’d walked up a deep red carpet past assembled guards in historic military uniforms.
We’ll keep our eyes open a little longer of course, but retiring to dine in Erdogan’s controversial base could also signify a slower flow of information from proceedings for tonight.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Gj7mShow more posts
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