NATO summit in Ankara to press defense spending and Ukraine support

Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe John Stringer told the Associated Press that the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July will aim to push member states to raise defence budgets, reaffirm backing for Ukraine and demonstrate alliance unity. He pointed to a four‑fold rise in some countries’ production of 155‑mm artillery shells and said leaders will discuss expanding defence manufacturing.

The summit comes as former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine John Herbstein said recent Ukrainian battlefield successes have improved Washington’s view of Kyiv, noting that President Donald Trump tends to favour “winners”. Herbstein warned that the U.S. stance could remain unstable, citing mixed signals from the Trump administration and recent reviews of American forces in Europe.