Meloni defends Italy’s defense plan at NATO summit, shuns Trump spat

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July 2026, meeting leaders such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She said the alliance remains united and determined to strengthen itself, describing the summit as “brief but intense”. Meloni confirmed Italy’s defence spending of 2.8 % of GDP, an increase of 0.71 percentage points, and stressed that future investments will be made “in a sustainable way, setting our own timing, methods and priorities” to keep funds in Italian factories and research. She highlighted Italy’s contribution of nearly 3 000 troops to NATO missions, calling the country a “credible security supplier”. On the US front, Meloni refused to revisit a recent meme posted by President Donald Trump that invoked a restraining order, stating she “does not regret anything” about her political investment in Western unity. She said the relationship with the United States is guided by Italy’s national interest, not personal disputes, and reiterated support for Ukraine’s civilian aid and energy‑infrastructure resilience while declining participation in the US‑led PURL weapons procurement for Kyiv. The prime minister also thanked President Erdogan for hosting the summit and urged European strategic autonomy in defence.