The NATO summit will take place in Ankara on July 7-8, bringing together heads of state and government from the 32 member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to the summit. According to the program, a short joint statement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected in the second afternoon of Tuesday, July 7, and on the evening of the same day, the Ukrainian president will attend a social reception and dinner for heads of state and government with their spouses hosted by the receiving side—Turkey and NATO.
Concurrently, also in a dinner format, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of foreign ministers and a meeting of alliance defense ministers with the Indo-Pacific Four countries—Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia—will take place. The NATO Defense Industry Forum will also be held on the same day. The only official meeting of the North Atlantic Council is scheduled for Wednesday, after which Secretary General Rutte will speak to the press.
The meeting of leaders will take place directly in the Bestepe Presidential Complex—the residence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The format of this summit is completely identical to last year’s, which took place in The Hague on June 24-25, 2025: three dinners—of leaders, of foreign ministers with Ukraine, and of defense ministers with the Indo-Pacific region—and one official meeting of allies the following day. Since 2023, there had been three official meetings—one purely for allies (the North Atlantic Council meeting), one meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council (the Council format was established at the Vilnius summit on July 11-12, 2023), and one meeting of allies with the Indo-Pacific Four. This format changed with Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House and the arrival of new Secretary General Mark Rutte at NATO.
In the corridors of the alliance, it is said that it is precisely at the request of the American side that summits at the level of heads of state and government are held for allies, not for partners. In addition, it is known that President Trump is not fond of long meetings. The allies do not object to this either—the less time Trump spends with them, the fewer chances for an escalation in relations.
At the dinner-format meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council for foreign ministers, the head of the Ukrainian foreign ministry will once again convey Kyiv’s main messages to the allies regarding the need for both long-term financial support and military assistance, particularly deliveries of air defense systems. This meeting is also a political signal of unwavering support from the alliance itself.
President Zelenskyy will also appeal for accelerated deliveries of air defense systems while on the sidelines of the summit.
At the same time, according to diplomats at NATO headquarters with whom the agency spoke, it is important for the Ukrainian side not to use this platform to settle bilateral relations with individual countries, specifically Poland—allies are concerned about the recent escalation in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw, given that 90% of military assistance is delivered through Poland. The second important and main element of the summit for Kyiv is the final declaration of the allies. The document itself is small and consists of six points, with point four dedicated to Ukraine.
From what the agency’s interlocutors relate, for the first time at an official level, the heads of state and government of the 32 NATO member countries will recognize that Ukraine contributes to transatlantic security, and the allies are united in their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Financial guarantees will also be spelled out: this refers to a German proposal for EUR 70 billion for the purchase of military equipment, training, and assistance for this year and the same amount for next year. The funding is to be provided by European allies and Canada. This should also serve as a signal to Russia that the allies will not abandon further support for Ukraine.
For the allies, three issues will be important on the summit agenda: fulfillment of commitments made in The Hague (spending 5% of GDP on defense), scaling up defense industry capabilities, and further support for Ukraine.
All 32 allies are expected to reaffirm their ironclad commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty—collective defense. Russia is again recognized as a long-term threat.
The question of holding the next summit in Albania, as stated in The Hague Declaration, has not been resolved precisely due to Tirana’s problem in meeting its commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defense. Allies fear this will become a subject of criticism from Trump. Therefore, proposals are being made to hold the summit in 2028 instead of 2027, and not in Albania.
Against the background of preparations for the summit, Ankara has become significantly more active in the international arena, particularly on the issue of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Turkey seeks to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine to protect its own economic, energy, and defense interests, while ensuring stability in the Black Sea region. Ankara also seeks to prevent a direct escalation between NATO and Russia while elevating its own status as an indispensable global mediator.
