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US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, stated that the Donald Trump administration expects credible plans from allies to increase military spending, while support for Ukraine and security burden-sharing will also be discussed at the summit...
The United States is increasing pressure on NATO member countries, demanding that they accelerate the fulfillment of the new target of investing 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in defense.
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, during a press conference, stated that the administration of President Donald Trump expects urgency and credible plans from countries that have not yet achieved this objective. According to him, the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara will serve as an indicator of the implementation of the decisions taken at the Hague Summit in June 2025.
Whitaker stressed that the American assessment will not be based only on the level of spending, but also on the real military capabilities created through these investments. According to him, since the Hague Summit, the allies have committed about $120 billion to defense, while approximately half of this amount has been used to purchase American military equipment.
Countries that lead and those that lag behind
According to the US ambassador, Poland, Germany, the Baltic countries and the Nordic states are at the forefront of implementing the new targets, while several other members have not yet presented clear plans to reach the 5% of GDP level.
Whitaker reiterated that Washington aims for European countries to take a greater role in the continent's conventional defense. He stated that the United States cannot remain the sole pillar of the Alliance indefinitely and hinted that countries that contribute more could have greater access to political decision-making and priority in armament programs.
The Ankara Summit is also expected to discuss new measures to support Ukraine. According to Whitaker, the US does not plan to withdraw support for Kiev, but expects European countries to take a greater share of responsibility, given that the conflict is taking place on European territory.
He announced that, through the Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program, American weapons systems worth over $6 billion have been sold, including Patriot air defense systems and PAC-3 missiles.
Regarding the prospect of the conflict, Whitaker stated that President Donald Trump aims to reach a peace agreement, but stressed that this requires acceptance of conditions by both sides. According to him, currently neither Moscow nor Kiev are ready to agree on a common basis for negotiations, while Washington will continue diplomatic pressure and long-term engagements to convince Russia that the war must end.
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