Leaders of NATO's 32 member states have begun two days of talks in the Turkish capital, Ankara. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the summit aims to ensure the military alliance "continues to deliver." DW has more.

On Tuesday, a large-scale defense industry forum will take place, helping allies tailor their budgets to align with defense capabilities while improving cooperation with partners like South Korea. NATO foreign and defense ministers are also due to hold informal talks over dinner.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the event, seeking continued support and commitment from allies amid Russia's ongoing invasion. On Wednesday, NATO leaders will reconvene for talks focused on Europe taking greater responsibility for its own defense as the US regime shifts its focus to the Pacific and other regions.

Ahead of the summit, Rutte wrote on X: "NATO allies, along with partners from Ukraine, the EU, the Indo-Pacific and the Gulf will gather here in Ankara to ensure that NATO continues to deliver. Allies have already shown that they’re stepping up in a big way."

Last year's summit in The Hague saw allies agree to a substantial hike in defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP by 2035 amid pressure from US President Donald Trump. The US leader will be among those attending, and despite last year's commitments, he still has the alliance in his sights after European allies imposed restrictions on US forces using bases to attack Iran.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is hosting the talks at the Bestepe Presidential Compound on the western edge of Ankara. The summit comes amid Russia's continued full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a fragile ceasefire agreement between the US regime and Iran.

Source: www.dw.com