Overview
- President Trump arrived in Ankara and in a bilaterial with President Erdoğan publicly criticised Italy, France, Germany and the UK for not supporting U.S. moves on Iran and said he may reduce U.S. troop levels in Europe.
- NATO leaders used the summit to lock in major defence-industrial deals worth about $50 billion and to push for faster European capability-building to shoulder more operational burden.
- Italy kept a deliberate policy of non-response to Trump's personal attacks while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sat at the same leaders' table with Trump and Erdoğan and continued concrete support for Ukraine.
- Italy's defence minister confirmed Rome will not join the U.S. Purl arms procurement scheme and instead will supply European-made Aster missiles to Ukraine, underscoring procurement friction with Washington.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte framed the U.S. posture review as consultative and urged a shift toward a more Europe-led defence posture, a move that could reshape force deployments and defence budgets across allies.