Member states remain divided over military spending, Iran and Europe’s security role….reports Asian Lite News Desk

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) heads into its summit in Ankara this week amid growing internal divisions over defence spending, strategic priorities and the alliance’s long-term direction, even as leaders seek to present a united front.

The two-day summit, beginning Tuesday, comes against the backdrop of differing responses to the recent US military strikes on Iran, continued debate over higher defence spending commitments and mounting public opposition to NATO in several European countries.

Differences within the alliance became more visible following US and Israeli military strikes on Iran that began in late February. While several NATO members backed Washington’s stated objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, none agreed to participate directly in the military campaign.

The refusal of European allies to deploy naval forces in support of US efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz drew sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump, who accused European nations of relying on American security guarantees while avoiding the risks of military action.

According to Oytun Orhan, a senior researcher at Ankara’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, many European governments viewed the Iran conflict primarily through the lens of regional stability rather than alliance solidarity.

He said direct military involvement could have exposed European countries to retaliation, disrupted energy supplies and triggered fresh migration pressures at a time when many are already grappling with domestic economic and political challenges.

Foreign policy analyst Serkan Demirtas said Europe’s cautious approach reflects lessons learned from past military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, making governments increasingly reluctant to join operations lacking broad international legitimacy and clearly defined objectives.

Another key issue expected to dominate the summit is the implementation of the agreement reached at last year’s NATO summit in The Hague, where member states committed to raising defence-related spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2035.

The spending target forms a central part of the Trump administration’s vision for a restructured “NATO 3.0”, aimed at shifting greater responsibility for Europe’s conventional defence from the United States to European allies. Trump has repeatedly warned that Washington could reconsider its security commitments if allies fail to increase military spending.

However, analysts remain sceptical about whether all NATO members will be able to meet the ambitious target.

Analyst Unal said several European governments agreed to the 2035 goal largely to avoid a confrontation with Washington, noting that accepting a long-term target was politically easier than openly opposing the United States.

He cautioned that implementation would face significant hurdles, including sluggish economic growth, rising public debt and ageing populations across Europe.

Domestic political considerations could also complicate efforts to boost military budgets, as voters in many countries continue to prioritise healthcare, education and social welfare over defence expenditure, he added.

Beyond policy disagreements, NATO is also facing growing public criticism.

Ahead of the summit, anti-NATO demonstrations were held in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, where protesters denounced the alliance as an “imperialist war organisation” and accused it of diverting resources away from public welfare.

Demonstrators carried banners reading “NATO wants war, workers want peace”, “Budget for the people, not for NATO” and “No to NATO, no to war”, while similar protests have also been witnessed in the Netherlands and Spain over the past two years.

In Istanbul, workers, civilians and political activists joined large weekend rallies calling for NATO’s dissolution and opposing pressure on member states to increase military spending.

The Ankara summit is also expected to unveil major defence procurement agreements, with analysts suggesting that many of the contracts are likely to benefit US defence manufacturers.

Unal noted that American defence companies stand to gain significantly whenever allies purchase NATO-compatible military equipment, arguing that Washington continues to wield substantial influence over the alliance’s strategic direction.

Baris Doster, a scholar at Istanbul’s Marmara University, said the anti-NATO demonstrations reflect broader concerns about the economic and political consequences of increasing militarisation. He argued that many critics view the alliance as extending beyond a security organisation to one that shapes political, economic and ideological agendas under US leadership.

Trump sets NATO agenda

US President Donald Trump will travel to Ankara on Monday for a NATO summit focused on defence spending, burden sharing and defence industrial cooperation, with meetings scheduled with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the White House said.

Trump will depart the White House on Monday evening and arrive in the Turkish capital on Tuesday afternoon. He will be greeted by Erdogan before participating in a State Arrival Ceremony and Honour Guard review, followed by bilateral talks, White House Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.

On Tuesday evening, Trump will attend the NATO Leaders’ Social Dinner. On Wednesday, he will participate in the official welcome and family photo before joining the NATO Leaders’ working session. He will later hold bilateral meetings with Zelensky and al-Sharaa before holding a press conference and departing Ankara. Trump is scheduled to return to the White House on Wednesday evening, Kelly said.

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew G. Whitaker said the Ankara summit would measure allies’ progress towards the defence spending commitments agreed at last year’s Hague summit, where NATO members committed to spending five per cent of their GDP on defence.

“President Trump expects all allies to step up immediately, and not only get on a sustainable path to the 5 per cent but get to 5 per cent as soon as possible in a very dangerous world that needs capable allies,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker said NATO allies had since committed nearly 139 billion US dollars in additional defence spending, with “roughly half of that being on American-made equipment and weapons and munitions.”

“That’s a good start, but some allies are doing more than others,” he said, identifying Poland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic states as leading the effort, while noting that Germany was on track to reach the target by 2029. He said all allies should demonstrate “meaningful upward trajectories” in defence spending to ensure fairer burden sharing across the alliance.

Whitaker said increasing defence production on both sides of the Atlantic would be central to achieving NATO’s new capability goals.

“Our goal continues to be shifting the burden of the conventional defense of Europe to our European allies in Canada,” he said. “The United States remains a proud NATO member,” but added that Washington also had “responsibilities elsewhere in the world, as the world’s only superpower.” He said the United States needed allies that were capable, interoperable and able to strengthen the alliance’s collective military power.

Kelly told reporters that the administration viewed the summit as another step in reshaping NATO.

“Under this President’s leadership, the United States has initiated a fundamental and historic shift in the structure of NATO, moving the alliance from a model of dependency on the United States to one of real burden sharing and self-reliance,” Kelly said.

She added that allies would discuss procurement frameworks to expand defence capabilities and ways for American companies to accelerate and showcase their products across the alliance.

Later senior administration officials said Trump would use his meeting with Zelensky to discuss efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

They described the battlefield as having “frozen over the last couple of months” and said the President believed there was “a real sense of urgency” to end the conflict and stop further loss of life. They added that Trump was expected to follow up with Russian President Vladimir Putin after meeting Zelensky.

The officials also said they expected “billions of dollars in announcements” on the sidelines of the summit involving defence co-production, new manufacturing facilities and purchases of advanced American weapons systems.

They said the United States had sold about 50 billion dollars worth of defence equipment to European and Canadian allies over the past year, while the American defence industry currently has about 300 billion dollars in back orders.

They also confirmed that the Pentagon’s review of US troop deployments and military basing in Europe remained under way as part of a broader strategy to encourage European allies to assume greater responsibility for the continent’s defence.

The summit comes as NATO continues to adapt to a changing European security environment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many member states have significantly increased defence spending in recent years, although several allies are still working towards meeting the alliance’s new spending commitments.