Nato summit begins with focus on defence spending as Zelenskyy and Trump due to meet - Europe live

Lead

NATO leaders convened in Ankara, Turkey, for the alliance's annual summit, with defence spending, military capabilities, and the future of US commitments dominating the agenda. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been invited to the gathering despite Ukraine not being a NATO member.

Coverage Comparison

The summit's tone varied across reports. ABC Australia described it as a "performative annual gathering" expected to be tense due to Trump's demands, while noting "bad blood" between the US and Europe following the US-Iran conflict. France 24's program questioned whether NATO can survive Trump's "changes of heart," with one report describing a "mad scramble" to keep the US leader engaged. Another France 24 segment framed the summit as marked by "shifting alliances and escalating tensions," noting Trump arrived questioning the alliance's loyalty before leaving in a warmer mood. The Guardian focused on Europe's growing concerns that the US defence industrial base is no longer providing weapons pledged to allies, with stockpiles depleted by conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.

Key Claims

• NATO leaders agreed to boost defence-related spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2035, as reported by ABC Australia.
• Germany planned to borrow 800 billion euros to ramp up rearmament efforts, according to ABC Australia.
• NATO leaders are expected to pledge 70 billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026 and at least the same for 2027, as reported by The Guardian.
• The US has delayed or cancelled deliveries of key arms shipments to European countries this year, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, Himars mobile rocket artillery, and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, according to The Guardian. The US used an estimated 50% of its PAC-3 missiles through April during its war with Iran.
• The US plans to address European defence spending and concerns over the Trump administration's future commitment to the military alliance, as reported by The Guardian.
• NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and other bloc leaders have insisted the alliance contributes to the United States' own security, a claim carried by The Guardian.
• ABC Australia reported that leaders who opposed the US-Iran war, such as Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who condemned the strikes as a breach of international law, may face Trump's anger.

Perspectives

ABC Australia: Emphasized the performative nature of the summit and the potential for tension, quoting analyst Maria Martisiute who said the Iran war created "a lot of bad blood" between the US and Europe, with Europeans trying to soothe Trump but risking flare-ups.

France 24: Focused on the threat to NATO's stability from Trump's unpredictability, questioning whether the alliance can survive his "changes of heart." The report highlighted concerns about providing defence systems against Russia's cruise missiles and the potential for Putin to test frontline European states.

The Guardian: Stressed Europe's growing alarm over the US defence industrial base's inability to provide pledged weapons, with stockpiles depleted by conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. The report detailed delayed or cancelled arms shipments and noted European capitals' quiet anger while avoiding direct conflict with the Trump administration to prevent a broader transatlantic collapse.