NATO Leaders Meet in Ankara as U.S. Reduces Assets Under European Command

NATO heads of state and government gathered in Ankara for the alliance's annual summit. The pre-negotiated statement reaffirmed the 32-member body's commitment to collective defense under Article 5.

European and Canadian defense spending rose 20 percent year-on-year, adding $258 billion to allied budgets over the past two years. NATO officials stated that members have spent $1 trillion on defense since 2017. The alliance set a new target of 5 percent of GDP on defense by 2035. Officials described the goal as necessary to modernize capabilities and create what they called NATO 3.0.

Washington has reduced the number of long-range bombers, fighter jets, submarines, and warships placed under European command. Officials stated that these assets remain under direct U.S. control. These restrictions limit which allies can access the systems.

The U.S. ambassador to NATO said European members cannot rely indefinitely on American taxpayers. Officials noted that much of the increased European spending flows back to U.S. defense contractors. " The summit statement emphasized unity, yet the gap between spending pledges and operational control remains unresolved.