NATO summit in Ankara brings Italy, US tensions to fore
The NATO summit opened on 7 July 2026 in Ankara, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosting leaders from the alliance. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized a firm stance, seeking to keep the agenda focused on European security, increased defence spending and continued support for Ukraine while avoiding personal friction with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump attended the summit and used social media to criticize Meloni, prompting the Italian delegation to adopt a strict protocol for interactions. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto warned that the United States and China remain the era’s great power rivals and stressed the importance of technology‑driven competition, while reaffirming Italy’s commitment to NATO’s collective defence.
Behind the scenes, senior U.S. officials discussed using the summit to mend ties with Rome, proposing that Italy and Turkey jointly oversee stabilisation efforts in Libya as a concrete reconciliation gesture. NATO reaffirmed its commitment to supply arms to Ukraine and urged allies to meet the 2 % of GDP defence‑spending target.
Overall, the summit highlighted the interplay of alliance cohesion, bilateral disputes and strategic priorities across Europe and the Atlantic.