NATO can emerge from the Ankara summit stronger. Here’s how.

Atlantic Council | Matthew Kroenig and Torrey Taussig

NATO heads of state and government gathered at the Ankara summit face severe internal friction as US President Donald Trump labels the alliance a paper tiger and questions Article 5 commitments. These political tensions are compounded by the June 3 announcement reducing US force contributions in Europe alongside a broader military posture review.

To overcome these divisions, member states must demonstrate concrete progress toward the five percent gross domestic product defense spending benchmark established at the previous Hague summit. Allies can further solidify cooperation by launching joint procurement contracts modeled on the F-35 fighter jet program and integrating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Additionally, the alliance must sustain long-term financial and military aid to Ukraine while aligning European defense production with Ukrainian industrial innovation. Maintaining private diplomatic discipline during what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as the most important meeting in NATO history will ultimately preserve transatlantic unity.

Comment

The growing friction within NATO over burden-sharing and US security guarantees offers critical lessons for India as it navigates its own plurilateral partnerships, such as the Quad. New Delhi must recognise that reliance on external security umbrellas is increasingly volatile, reinforcing the strategic necessity of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliance) in defence industrial capabilities. Furthermore, the European struggle to rapidly scale up fragmented defence markets highlights the urgency for India to establish robust, domestic co-production lines rather than relying on complex, multi-nation supply chains.

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