On 7-8 July 2026, NATO’s heads of state and government met in Ankara for the Alliance’s 36th summit. It was the second time Türkiye has hosted this gathering since Istanbul in 2004. The summit came at a difficult moment for the Alliance: a fifth year of war in Ukraine, growing pressure on European allies to turn defense-spending pledges into real industrial capacity, and continuing uncertainty over Washington’s long-term commitment to European security. The Ankara Summit Declaration reaffirmed the Alliance’s commitment to collective defense under Article 5, noted that in 2025, European allies and Canada have increased core defense investment by more than $139 billion, and announced more than $50 billion in new procurements and committed to working with industry to accelerate innovation. Support for Ukraine and the broader question of Europe’s long-term security architecture also featured prominently on the agenda. For most allies, Ankara was simply this year’s venue — one stop in a ro...