NATO Summit in Ankara Secures $50B in Defence Deals, Rutte Praises Unity

During a press conference following the North Atlantic Council meeting on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte backed US President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding the alliance. He revealed that this year's summit in Ankara, Turkey, resulted in over $50 billion in procurement agreements. Rutte noted that allies have committed to achieving a defense spending goal of 5% of GDP by 2035, a target established at last year’s gathering in The Hague. The investments will enhance capabilities in areas such as deep precision strike, integrated air and missile defense, uncrewed systems, advanced technologies, intelligence, and AI models. Additionally, member nations pledged €70 billion ($80 billion) in military support for Ukraine, highlighting a strong commitment to collective defense under Article 5. Rutte expressed a "great sense of unity" and praised Trump’s leadership for its transformative impact on the alliance.