politics
NATO Draft Omits Albania 2027 Summit Reference as Spending Debate Continues
Euronews reported that the draft conclusions for next week’s NATO summit omit any reference to Albania hosting the 2027 gathering. The omission signals pressure on Tirana to increase military outlays toward the alliance’s new 5 percent target.
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Albania’s status as host of the 2027 NATO summit is in doubt after the draft conclusions for the upcoming Ankara meeting made no mention of the planned location in Tirana. Euronews reported that NATO officials removed the reference to apply pressure on Albania to raise defence spending. ” NATO members agreed at last year’s summit in The Hague to raise defence spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.
Albania currently allocates about 1.49 percent of GDP to defence, well below the alliance’s original 2 percent benchmark. Slovenia and Czechia were listed in NATO’s 2025 report as having reached the 2 percent mark, but NATO sources told Euronews that those figures were inaccurate. ” The 32 NATO allies will meet in Ankara on 7-9 July.
US President Trump confirmed last week that he will attend, along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain are also expected.
