The two-day NATO summit has begun in Ankara, with attention focused on defense spending, relations within the alliance and the strong statements coming from US President Donald Trump. As part of the meeting, the family photo of the leaders of member states has also been released, showing Prime Minister Edi Rama accompanied by his wife, but unlike previous times when they were positioned at the center of the family photo, the Turkish protocol placed them on the edge of the photographic frame.
The two-day meeting in Ankara
According to publicly released information, the NATO leaders’ summit is taking place today and tomorrow in Ankara, in the presence of US President Donald Trump.
The meeting is expected to officially culminate this evening with the leaders’ formal dinner, while the political agenda appears focused on defense, relations among allies and the weight each state carries within the alliance.
Rutte presents defense data
At the opening of the summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte presented the latest data on defense spending by the alliance’s member countries.
Although the full details of this data were not included in the source material, this remains one of the key indicators by which the alliance measures the real commitment of member countries, beyond political statements.
Trump meets with Erdoğan and revives the F-35 issue
As part of the summit, a bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is also scheduled.
According to Trump’s statement, “Turkey has been faithful” and the US will consider the possibility of selling it F-35 aircraft. This once again places the summit in the context of strategic interests that go beyond the alliance’s joint statements.
Harsh criticism of European allies
The US president also criticized some of NATO’s main European allies.
According to the version made public from his statements, Trump said NATO had “disappointed” him and that France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy had “turned their backs” on the United States. Such statements cast a shadow over the unity usually promoted at summits of this level.
The summit in Ankara continues tomorrow, while attention remains on actual decision-making, the balances among allies and the signals emerging from bilateral meetings.
Beyond the family photo and official ceremony, this meeting is being seen as another test of NATO’s cohesion at a moment of visible tensions within the alliance itself.