Overview
- The NATO leaders will meet in Ankara on July 7–8 in a shortened programme designed to limit leader-level exposure and speed decisions.
- President Trump has publicly attacked Italy’s prime minister with a Truth post meme, raising diplomatic tension ahead of the summit and prompting Rome to keep a low‑profile response.
- Italy will present a headline defence and security figure of 2.8% of GDP and a government plan to raise defence spending by 0.3 percentage points in 2027 and 0.6 in 2028, a package reported at more than €18 billion.
- U.S. policy on forces in Europe remains unsettled after reporting that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth drafted large reductions in U.S. troops that were reportedly checked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, leaving posture changes an open question at the summit.
- Allies are prepared to discuss large multi‑year support for Ukraine, with reporting that European NATO members and Canada pledged €70 billion for 2026 and again for 2027, while Turkey uses its hosting role to position itself as a regional interlocutor.