Leaders of all 32 NATO member states are meeting in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The summit takes place as US President Donald Trump allegedly renews pressure on allies over defense spending. European nations are expected to respond with billions of dollars in new military contracts.

At last year's NATO summit, members agreed to increase their target to 5 percent of GDP: 3.5 percent on military spending by 2035 and 1.5 percent on security-related needs. This year in Ankara, the discussion is purportedly focused on translating spending into capabilities.

Two non-alliance heads of state are also attending: Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Korea's Lee Jae-myung. Australia, Japan, and New Zealand are sending defense or foreign ministers, as are Gulf countries affected by the US-Israel war on Iran: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is not expected to attend the summit but is allegedly holding a bilateral meeting with Trump in Ankara. Trump has questioned NATO's value since his first presidential campaign, arguing that the US carried an unfair share of costs.

Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump on Wednesday to request additional Patriot air defense systems as Russian attacks intensify. A drone attack on Kyiv on Monday killed at least 11 people.

Analysts suggest the billions in contracts expected from European nations are an attempt to appease the Trump regime. However, any capability gains from increased spending are years away. The US regime has already announced a phased withdrawal of warplanes and ships from NATO countries.

Source: www.aljazeera.com