Success in Ankara and a Stronger NATO

The 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, concluded successfully, with messages of unity, support for Ukraine, increased spending by European NATO allies, and big agreements on coproduction of military systems, especially precision guided munitions.

Ahead of the meeting, President Donald Trump was adamant that Europe needed to increase defense spending and take more responsibility for its own defense.

On the first day of the summit, President Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelensky and announced that the U.S. will grant Ukraine a license to co-produce Patriot air defense systems. If this license is granted, it will be hugely effective in protecting Ukrainian cities and military assets while Russian missiles and drones continue to target sites throughout the country.

In addition to Patriot Missiles for Ukraine, Lockheed Martin and German defense contractor Rheinmetall signed an agreement at the NATO summit to coproduce the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in Germany; this will be the first time ATACMS have been produced outside of the United States.

NATO members have also agreed to make a shared fleet of military transportation aircraft with the Airbus A400M aiding the alliance with strategic airlift aircraft fit to move heavy weapons systems able to deliver to unpaved airstrips where other aircraft cannot operate. This is especially important for NATO planning, as the U.S. will likely need to commit more of its own strategic airlift assets to Asia because of the need to deter China.

President Trump singled out Spain for his harshest criticism, saying, “I don’t want anything to do with Spain.” Last year at the NATO summit in The Hague, Spain was the only NATO ally to refuse the new 5% defense spending construct, and Spain has lagged behind in defense spending for decades.

Perhaps the most surprising change to come out of this summit was that President Trump said that it may be time to lift the ban on Turkey’s purchase of F-35s. This ban was previously imposed on Turkey after its 2017 purchase of the Russian S-400 Long-Range Air Defense System. The ban may be reevaluated by Congress under section 1245 of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which states that the purchase cannot be made if Turkey still possesses the S-400 Long-Range Air Defense System.

The increase in defense spending from various European allies is breaking the cycle of European dependence on the U.S.. Allied investments jumped more than 20% last year alone, with allies spending $120 billion more than in 2025. The U.S. can expect allies to continue their increased defense spending in response to President Trump’s request, the clear and present challenge posed by Russia, and their now demonstrated willingness to contribute more to the alliance.

The NATO summit in Ankara was a success, providing a foundation for continued deterrence against Russia while allowing the U.S. to posture shift towards defending the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. is fortunate to have allies in Europe willing to take more responsibility for European security and clearly capable of doing so.

All in all, the NATO summit demonstrated that President Trump’s approach to build up stronger allies coupled with increasing America’s own military power here at home is working. NATO is on a sustained path of rejuvenation, and this new path vindicates the administration’s policy of peace through strength.