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NATO aid and threats
Russia denounced NATO decisions at a summit in Turkey on Wednesday, saying they could have catastrophic consequences after the alliance announced military aid to Ukraine and reaffirmed members' commitment to collective defence.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said NATO’s priorities included "aid to Ukraine" and warned that the decisions could lead to a catastrophe "not just for the alliance, but for the whole world".
At the same summit, NATO members pledged €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026 and reaffirmed their "ironclad commitment" to collective defence under Article 5 in a summit declaration.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Reuters that disputes between U.S. President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders showed the alliance's democratic strength and should serve as a lesson for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rutte said, "I would say to Putin: You should have some more discussions yourself, out in the open," in comments reported by Reuters.
Ankara unity, Article 5
At the NATO Summit in Ankara, Secretary General Mark Rutte said the message from Ankara was clear: NATO delivers, describing rising defence investment and European Allies and Canada assuming greater responsibility for their security.
Rutte said the summit highlighted progress toward investing 5% of GDP in defence by 2035, with total defence and security spending measuring around 4% just one year into the 10-year effort.
The summit also underlined NATO’s support for Ukraine, with allies pledging to provide at least EUR 70 billion in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine this year and again next year.
In the Ankara Summit Declaration, NATO leaders reiterated their “ironclad commitment” to the alliance’s mutual defense clause, saying “an attack on one is an attack on all,” while agreeing to a €70 billion ($80 billion) package of military assistance for Ukraine.
TVP World reported that Trump declared there was “a lot of unity” during the NATO meeting in Ankara, and Reuters reported Trump told fellow leaders, “We want to remain with you.”
Europe’s next steps
Beyond the summit’s Ukraine pledge, NATO leaders and industry announced major new commitments, including over EUR 50 billion in new procurement deals and NATO’s Drone Edge initiative that would see USD 40 billion invested in uncrewed systems over the next five years.
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Rutte also described a historic step to enhance NATO’s fuel supply chain, saying, "this 27-billion-euro investment will modernise our existing fuel storage and distribution infrastructure" and support new facilities including pipelines toward the eastern part of the Alliance.
Euronews reported that at the 34th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Berlin, under the auspices of Boris Pistorius and John Healey, Germany signed a defense agreement worth 4 billion euros that included hundreds of Patriot missiles and joint production of drones.
At the same Berlin meeting, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov urged allies to "examine their stocks," saying Kyiv needs more PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles "to protect its essential infrastructure."
Euronews also quoted Mark Rutte saying, "We are also learning from you. We are learning from Ukraine," as NATO drew on Ukraine’s battlefield experience for drone use and countering.
