NATO leaders reaffirm Article 5 commitment at Ankara summit
At a summit in Ankara, NATO heads reiterated the alliance’s collective defence pledge, announced a €70 billion support package for Ukraine and discussed possible future roles, including assistance to Ukraine’s Patriot air-defence production.
NATO ministers gathered in Ankara on Wednesday and issued a declaration that the alliance’s Article 5 defence guarantee remains "ironclad," reaffirming that an attack on one member is an attack on all. The summit concluded with a €70 billion (about $80 billion) package of military aid for Ukraine, combining €30 billion from an EU loan programme and €40 billion pledged by NATO members.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that the meeting was marked by “a lot of love in that room” and described it as a “great success.” He also announced that the United States would issue a licence allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot air-defence systems domestically and signalled a possible lift of sanctions on Turkey that could pave the way for F-35 sales.
"The message from this summit is simple. NATO delivers," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that allies “warmly welcomed President Trump’s leadership.”
The summit also touched on the fallout from recent U.S. strikes against Iran, with Stoltenberg noting that while Iran lies outside NATO territory, the alliance remains willing to consider a role if it proves helpful.
European leaders highlighted a surge in defence spending, with the former Dutch prime minister estimating that Europe and Canada would invest nearly $300 billion in weapons and equipment over the past two years. In a separate statement, NATO leaders described the gathering as the start of “building the future: a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.”
Albania’s scheduled host role for the next NATO summit remained uncertain, as leaders deferred setting a specific date.
