2026 NATO Summit

The 2026 NATO Summit took place on 7-8 July in the Beştepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Türkiye. Leaders from the 32 member countries of NATO, as well as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, attended the summit which was chaired by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. 

Key issues such as defence spending, military support for Ukraine, the scale up of weapons production, and the ongoing conflict in Iran, were discussed.

In a panel discussion on 7 July, President von der Leyen highlighted that the EU and NATO must work much more closely together as European countries rely on a shared pool of forces, making alignment with NATO capability targets essential. She stressed that the EU is sharply increasing defence spending through instruments such as ReArm Europe, SAFE and the next long-term budget. These investments strengthen Europe’s own defence industrial base, promote jobs and research. She also emphasized the need for broad cooperation with non-EU allies such as Türkiye and Canada, closer defence innovation ties with Ukraine, and a whole-of-society approach to counter hybrid threats and build resilience.