NATO leaders announced defense deals worth more than $50 billion at the summit in Ankara, Turkey, highlighting Europe’s push to strengthen its military capabilities and increase defense spending.
The agreements include European countries purchasing surveillance drones from Northrop Grumman, while NATO will acquire aircraft from Saab.
Additionally, Britain and 11 other European nations also committed more than $50 billion over the next decade to develop long-range precision weapons.
President Donald Trump, however, criticized NATO allies, saying they had not done enough to support the US military campaign against Iran.
Expressing disappointment with the alliance, he suggested reducing US troop levels in Europe and renewed his call for America’s control of Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark. The Scandinavian nation has rejected the proposal multiple times.
Trump also said during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he could reinstate Turkey’s access to F-35 fighter jets, which was suspended in 2020.
Canada also announced that nine countries—Albania, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine—have joined the new Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), a multilateral initiative designed to finance defense projects and strengthen allied military industries.
DSRB aims to become operational in 2027.