NATO Summit Opens in Ankara as French Court Rules on Le Pen Eligibility

NATO's annual summit began Tuesday in Ankara with 32 member states meeting amid disagreements over defense spending and U.S. policy toward Iran and Greenland. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told a pre-summit press conference that European and Canadian governments added €122 billion in core defense spending over the past year, a 20 percent increase.

Rutte called on members to present plans to reach a 5 percent of GDP defense target by 2035.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to ask the alliance for permission to manufacture U.S.-made Patriot interceptors under license. Zelenskyy said Ukraine's industrial base could produce enough interceptors to protect its cities and supply partners if Washington approves the arrangements.

The request follows a Russian missile barrage Monday that killed at least 23 people and exposed gaps in Ukraine's air defenses.

m. Tuesday on whether to uphold Marine Le Pen's five-year ban from public office over allegations of embezzling EU funds. Le Pen, who is polling at 32 percent for a potential first-round presidential vote, told LCI she would continue fighting for her ideas regardless of the outcome.

If the court upholds the ban, 30-year-old Jordan Bardella would likely become the National Rally's candidate for France's 2027 presidential election. A senior member of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party, speaking anonymously, suggested Bardella could be an easier opponent than Le Pen.

MEPs in Strasbourg are also set to approve legislation maintaining free cabin luggage and compensation for delayed flights after more than a decade of negotiations.