Leaders of the 32 member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are set to arrive in Ankara on Tuesday for two days of talks focusing on bolstering European defense spending and capabilities, alongside the signing of major arms deals, amid U.S. pressure for a more balanced burden-sharing within the alliance.
The summit will commence with a large defense industry exhibition aimed at helping allies convert rapid increases in military budgets into new capabilities and multibillion-dollar procurement deals.
Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, NATO members pledged last year to significantly increase their defense budgets from 2% to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, with an additional 1.5% of GDP allocated to defense-related spending.
This year's meeting will focus on turning those pledges into concrete commitments.
Trump has continued to press allies, labeling their defense expenditure as "ridiculous" just days before the summit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to join NATO leaders and hold a bilateral meeting with Trump as he seeks commitments for €140 billion ($160 billion) in military aid, while urging allies to provide more air defense missiles and renew efforts to revive stalled peace talks with Russia.
NATO foreign and defense ministers are also expected to hold informal talks over a dinner.
On Wednesday, NATO leaders will reconvene for consultations focusing on Europe taking greater responsibility for its defense amid the U.S. pivot toward the Pacific region and other areas.