The July 2026 edition of EU in Focus by the TRENDS Belgium Virtual Office examines the future of the transatlantic alliance under the theme: “NATO after Ankara: Europe takes more responsibility.” Building on the 2025 Hague Summit’s pledge to increase defence spending, this report examines whether the Ankara Summit, dubbed a “delivery summit” by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte1, lived up to its label and how Allies translate their political commitments into real military capabilities.
The summit unfolded against a difficult political backdrop. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized European allies that had declined to support the U.S. campaign against Iran, renewed pressure on Spain over defence spending and revived his demand for American control of Greenland. Ankara could therefore easily have exposed deep transatlantic divisions. Instead, the final declaration reaffirmed collective defence, identified Russia as a long-term threat to the Euro-Atlantic area and recognized Ukraine as a contributor to NATO’s security and stability.
The report first examines how Ankara preserved transatlantic unity despite the political tensions surrounding the summit. It then assesses whether the multinational procurement, industrial-financing and defence-production initiatives announced there can translate higher spending into deployable military capabilities. Finally, it considers how NATO 3.0 will reshape relations with Ukraine, Gulf partners and the Alliance’s Indo-Pacific partners, before identifying the key developments to watch, namely the Pentagon’s review of the American military posture in Europe and the newly established European Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition
