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The alliance aims to show increased defense investment ahead of the summit with Donald Trump, while replacing the AWACS fleet with the Swedish GlobalEye system is also on the agenda...
NATO leaders are set to announce a package of arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars in Ankara on Tuesday, in an effort to show that European allies are responding to US demands for increased defense spending. The announcements will be made ahead of a summit of the alliance, which will also be attended by US President Donald Trump.
European governments will present the deals at a NATO defense industry forum ahead of Trump's arrival for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other alliance leaders. The summit opens tonight with a formal dinner, Reuters reports.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that European countries have significantly increased their defense spending. According to him, this is related to both the increased threat from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as well as the constant pressure exerted by Donald Trump on allies to contribute more to Europe's security.
Trump has criticized European countries for years, arguing that they rely disproportionately on the United States for NATO's collective defense. Rutte said the alliance is building a more sustainable model, where Washington also sees a fair sharing of the defense burden.
Last month, Rutte announced that European NATO members and Canada would spend about $90 billion more on defense in 2025 compared to 2024, bringing the total to $570 billion, or about 20 percent more in one year.
However, in recent months Trump has returned to criticizing NATO allies. He has accused them of not doing enough to support the US during the conflict with Iran and has hinted that he may reconsider American commitment to the Alliance or to collective defense obligations.
European officials dispute these claims, pointing out that most allied countries have allowed the use of airspace and military bases by US forces, even though they were not consulted about the conflict, which had an economic impact and was met with strong opposition in European public opinion.
Meanwhile, the US has announced the withdrawal of some troops from Europe, the reduction of certain capabilities in NATO's defense plans, including an aircraft carrier, air refueling aircraft, fighter jets and drones, and has launched a six-month review of its military presence on the continent.
European officials said allies were prepared for fresh criticism from Trump at the summit but hoped his close relationship with President Erdogan and Secretary-General Mark Rutte would help maintain a constructive climate. However, they acknowledged that uncertainties remain over disputes over Greenland, Iran and Trump's strained relations with some European leaders.
Full details of the arms deals have not been made public. However, Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgoz told Reuters that the Netherlands will announce projects and agreements worth more than 3 billion euros, including cooperation with Belgium on air defense and with the United Kingdom on the construction of warships.
Reuters also reported, citing four sources, that NATO is expected to announce the replacement of its aging fleet of US-made AWACS surveillance aircraft with the Swedish company Saab's GlobalEye system.
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