NATO in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
NATO in July 2026 was dominated by its summit in Ankara and by relations between the alliance and US President Donald Trump. Leaders gathered in Ankara in the first days of the month, with a draft text confirming their commitment to collective defense under Article 5. Before and during the summit Trump called NATO burden-sharing "ridiculous" and "one-sided" and called Germany's spending "ridiculous". On July 8 he described Spain as a "wasted cause" and revived his interest in buying Greenland, which Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen firmly rejected. He also mocked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni before the gathering and praised her at it. Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "great leader", and closed the summit on a positive note after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pushed allies toward a five percent defense spending goal.
Ukraine was the second theme. Allies pledged 140 billion euros for Ukraine over 2026 and 2027 and raised Kyiv's status to security contributor. Zelenskyy signed three new drone deals at the summit. NATO partially adopted an Italian proposal requiring state approval for aid by 2027, and on July 12 several NATO countries were reported to have refused to fund military aid for Ukraine. Bulgaria and Croatia said they would not join the coalition of the willing. On July 14 the alliance announced plans to integrate Ukraine into its military command structures, which Russia said revealed NATO's main goal there. Russia also called the promises to Kyiv irresponsible.
Other episodes marked the summit. Erdogan gave each leader a revolver with ammunition, an unusual gift, according to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Anti-NATO protests took place in Turkey. Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was "over" after US strikes. On July 13 reports pointed to divisions inside the alliance behind a show of reconciliation, and on July 16 the United States dismissed the Ankara summit as a farce.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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