NATO Ankara summit to announce multibillion‑dollar defence deals as Rutte pushes spending targets

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the July 7‑8 summit in Ankara will showcase new defence contracts totaling tens of billions of dollars, reinforce the alliance’s industrial base and underline support for Ukraine. He warned that NATO will adopt a “tough but discreet” approach to ensure members stay on a credible path to spend 5 % of GDP on defence by 2035 (3.5 % core spending). Rutte cited the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands and other allies as examples where political debates over funding are expected.

Rutte also claimed that around 500 U.S. aircraft took off from Italian bases during the recent “Epic Fury” operation against Iran, a statement that sparked a diplomatic row. Italy’s defence minister Guido Crosetto and foreign minister Antonio Tajani rejected the claim, insisting that only logistical flights were permitted and no combat missions were authorized.

The summit will be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and is intended to send a unified message to Russia while advancing a “defence industrial revolution” that reduces bureaucracy, boosts innovation and creates jobs across the alliance.