صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
AnkaraToday, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the 36th session of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit began in the Turkish capital, Ankara, in the presence of leaders of member states, led by US President Donald Trump, in a summit held against the backdrop of escalating security challenges and increasing American pressure to raise defense spending and share the alliance’s burdens.
The summit activities began with the Defense Industries Forum, which is for the first time part of the official program and focuses on enhancing joint military production and transatlantic defense investments, amid expectations of announcing billions of dollars in arms deals and strategic agreements.
US President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon, where he was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while the rest of the leaders of the 32 member states are expected to join the main meetings that begin on Wednesday at the Turkish presidential palace.
According to the alliance’s official program, the forum will witness the announcement of new initiatives to enhance defense capabilities, with the participation of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, along with senior officials from the military industries sector.
The summit is being held under pressure led by the US President to oblige European allies to increase their defense contributions, after the previous agreement to raise military spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed that European countries and Canada have already increased their defense investments, pointing to the pumping of about 258 billion additional dollars during the years 2025 and 2026, with the announcement of new arms contracts to enhance the alliance’s readiness to face security challenges, most notably Russian threats.
In this context, the alliance announced the signing of an agreement with thegroup AirbusTo add a new aircraft to NATO’s multinational fleet for refueling and air transport, while Canada revealed that it had selected a German company to build its new fleet of submarines as part of a multi-billion-dollar defense program.
The summit coincides with European efforts to contain tension with the US administration, in light of Trump’s repeated criticism of what he sees as the weak contribution of allies to collective defense, as well as disagreements related to European policies towards the US-Israeli war on Iran and the use of military bases.
NATO leaders are also expected to discuss developments in the war in Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will participate in the leaders’ dinner on Tuesday evening, and will hold a bilateral meeting with the US President, in an attempt to obtain additional military support and increase pressure on Moscow to resume negotiations.
Observers believe that the Ankara summit represents a turning point in the future of the alliance, in light of the transformations taking place in American policy, and the European countries’ efforts to prove their ability to bear greater responsibilities in collective defense, while at the same time maintaining the cohesion of the Atlantic Alliance.
Source:“My press”
