Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
By Alexandra Voudouri
The 32 leaders sent a message of unity and a firm response to longstanding American pressure for greater European participation in collective defense through the joint declaration they adopted at the NATO Summit in Ankara. Despite the tense atmosphere created earlier by Donald Trump's public attacks against U.S. allies, the Alliance's leaders, including the American president, reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment" to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, stressing that "an attack against one is an attack against all." At the same time, Russia is identified as the "long-term threat" to Euro-Atlantic security and stability.
The declaration says that European countries and Canada are steadily increasing their defense spending, not only to strengthen their military capabilities but also to reinforce the Alliance's defense industrial base and resilience.
In this context, European allies and Canada increased their investment in core defense needs by more than $139 billion in 2025, while new defense procurement worth more than $50 billion was announced in Ankara.
The text describes the goal of building "a stronger Europe within a stronger NATO," saying that European allies and Canada are taking on greater responsibility for collective defense in cooperation with the United States.
The Alliance's deterrence will continue to rely on a combination of nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities, supported by space and cyber capabilities.
The declaration also calls for investment in deep-strike capabilities, unmanned systems, advanced technologies, artificial intelligence and the creation of an interoperable transatlantic "war cloud."
Ukraine also holds a central place in the declaration and is described as contributing directly to transatlantic security. The "32" repeated their "steadfast support" for Kyiv and committed to providing €70 billion in military equipment, training and assistance in 2026. They also expressed their intention to maintain at least the same level of support in 2027.
The declaration also makes special reference to the European Union's multi-year financial support for Ukraine. The provision reflects the position of member states, including Germany and Greece, that this contribution should be counted as part of the overall level of assistance to Kyiv.
In the section on the Middle East, the leaders said Iran "must never acquire a nuclear weapon" and called on Tehran to fully guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. This wording was adopted after efforts by Greece to ensure there would be no room for differing interpretations regarding freedom of navigation in the strait.
One notable omission was the absence of the usual reference to the location of the next NATO Summit. Instead, the declaration simply states that the leaders "look forward to their next meeting."
The lack of any reference to Albania, which had been considered a possible host for the next summit, has already fueled intense speculation in diplomatic circles that changes to the schedule for future summits are being considered to avoid new tensions with the American president.
