U.S. Representative: U.S. Will Press NATO Allies to Increase Military Spending

Belgian Defense Ministry: EU Replacing U.S. Military Support Will Take Five to Ten Years

NATO Ankara Summit to Take Place Amid Alliance Divisions and Protests in Turkey

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Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, published an article on the Fox News website, clearly stating that the United States will continue pressuring all NATO allies to fulfill their financial responsibilities. Whitaker emphasized that any "weak link" could jeopardize the collective security of the entire alliance.

In his article, he wrote: "The United States will continue pressing each member of this alliance to meet its obligations. A weakness anywhere weakens collective security everywhere."

Previously, President Trump repeatedly criticized European nations for insufficient defense spending within NATO and called on all members to raise their defense budgets to 5% of GDP.

Whitaker had stated in late June that Washington expects to see concrete progress from allied nations regarding increased defense expenditures at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. He also stressed that Europe must assume primary responsibility for maintaining regional security through conventional means.

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Belgian Defense Minister Frankenhuis recently told The Hill, a U.S. political news website, that it would take at least five to ten years for the EU to build up its conventional armed forces to match the level of protection currently provided by the United States in Europe.

Citing remarks from Frankenhuis, The Hill reported that Europe will still need to "keep the U.S. on board" during this transition period and remain reliant on American guidance in security matters, as without direct U.S. military support, the EU lacks the capability for independent self-defense.

Frankenhuis also stressed that Europe has become fully aware of the urgency of increasing defense spending.

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From July 7 to 8, leaders of NATO countries will gather in Ankara for the annual summit.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said ahead of the summit that the main focus would be enhancing the alliance’s military capabilities, increasing defense spending, developing the defense industrial base, and continuing support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, media reports earlier indicated that European allies are anxiously awaiting what some have described as President Donald Trump’s “public scolding”—a reaction fueled by European reluctance toward Iran-related actions and lack of enthusiasm over boosting defense spending across the Atlantic.

Additionally, with domestic fiscal and energy challenges, European countries are unwilling to make any further commitments to either the U.S. or Kyiv.

Floridov Vladislav Maslennikov, head of the Department for European Affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik News that Moscow expects NATO to continue advancing its confrontational agenda against Russia, posing threats to Russian security across multiple fronts.

The summit will be held at the Presidential Palace in Ankara. On July 7, prior to the summit, the NATO Defense Industry Forum will take place, attended by NATO leadership, government representatives from member states, defense industry executives, and relevant institutions. Secretary General Rutte said the discussion would center on accelerating weapons production, unmanned technologies, and implementing decisions to significantly increase military spending among NATO nations.

Continued support for Ukraine is expected to be one of the key agenda items. Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been formally invited to attend the summit, organizers have not arranged a separate meeting between him and NATO leaders. According to Western media reports, this decision aims to avoid any format that might provoke displeasure from the U.S. President.

Participants are expected to confirm further military aid to Kyiv. However, according to a European diplomatic source cited previously by Sputnik News, the meeting is likely to produce only political declarations, without any new substantive commitments.

It is anticipated that the Ankara Summit will conclude with the shortest joint statement in NATO history—possibly even omitting mention of the next summit. A source said Washington hopes to completely abandon the tradition of holding an annual summit.

Meanwhile, Ankara has entered a high state of alert ahead of the summit. Turkish authorities announced that over 56,000 police and gendarmerie personnel are deployed to maintain order, civilian aviation and drone flights are restricted, public gatherings and large-scale events have been banned since late June, and parts of the city center have been sealed off. Despite these restrictions, protests against the summit erupted in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir, resulting in over a hundred arrests.

The Turkish Motherland Party (Vatan Partisi) even referred to this summit as the "funeral of NATO."

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870039527711812/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the author alone