NATO Summit 2026: Who's attending and what leaders will discuss in Ankara

Leaders of NATO's 32 member states will gather in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday for a summit expected to focus on defence spending, military production and continued support for Ukraine, as US President Donald Trump presses European allies to assume a greater share of the alliance's security responsibilities.

The meeting comes amid months of transatlantic tensions over the Iran conflict, Greenland and Washington's plans to reduce its military footprint in Europe.

Who's attending?

US President Donald Trump will join leaders from all 32 NATO member countries at the summit.

Also expected to attend Tuesday evening's leaders' dinner are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Separately, NATO foreign ministers will meet counterparts from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, while defence ministers will hold talks with officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

What will leaders discuss?

A key agenda item will be Europe's progress toward meeting NATO's target of spending 5% of gross domestic product on defence and defence-related measures by 2035, a goal agreed at last year's summit in The Hague.

Leaders are also expected to discuss expanding defence industrial production, increasing weapons manufacturing and implementing a gradual shift of defence responsibilities from the United States to European allies.

According to a draft summit declaration seen by Reuters, European allies and Canada are expected to highlight that they increased investments in core defence capabilities by more than $139 billion in 2025 and reaffirm their commitment to assuming greater responsibility for the alliance's collective defence alongside the United States.

Ukraine support

NATO members are expected to reaffirm long-term support for Ukraine by pledging €70 billion in military equipment, training and assistance for 2026 while committing to maintain similar support levels in 2027.

Most of the funding is expected to come from existing bilateral commitments and a €60 billion European Union loan facility, with the United States not expected to contribute to the package.

Defence industry and Iran

The alliance will also host a defence industry forum in Ankara, where governments and companies are expected to announce defence contracts worth tens of billions of dollars.

Leaders are also expected to address the Iran conflict, reiterating that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon while calling on Tehran to respect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Turkey's priorities

As host, Turkey will seek to showcase its growing defence industry and push for the removal of restrictions on defence trade among NATO allies.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to discuss closer defence cooperation with allies, including France and Italy, while urging Trump to lift US sanctions on Turkey and restore Ankara's access to the F-35 fighter jet programme.