The summit, opening Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Polish time, follows the Alliance's Defense Industry Forum, where new multinational arms contracts worth billions are expected to be announced.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ankara early Tuesday afternoon and was set to meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who on Monday called for greater military support for Ukraine, particularly air defense systems, amid intensified Russian attacks. "It's about making sure Ukraine gets what it needs. Because its security is closely linked to ours", Rutte said.
U.S. President Donald Trump was traveling to the summit to discuss ending the war Russia launched against Ukraine and was expected to meet with Zelenskyy on Tuesday. "It takes two to tango. The president of Ukraine is ready to sit down for talks with Putin, but Putin has so far refused", Rutte said.
The NATO-Ukraine Council will meet Tuesday evening at the level of foreign ministers rather than heads of state. A short declaration to be adopted Wednesday at the summit's close is expected to describe Russia as a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security — a characterization that might seem routine following NATO's 2022 Madrid summit, when the alliance named Russia its principal threat, but which has faced pushback recently. According to Polish Radio's Brussels correspondent Beata Płomecka, U.S. officials at NATO headquarters have objected several times over the past year to labeling Russia that way.
The declaration is also expected to reaffirm commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty on collective defense — a symbolically significant point amid transatlantic tensions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the summit host, said he hopes for a positive message from the gathering. "Our main expectation is to strengthen the solidarity and unity of the Alliance", Erdogan said.
Much will depend on the disposition of Trump, who has recently expressed frustration with Europeans over their lack of support during the conflict with Iran, and who has previously warned countries not increasing defense spending that he would not come to their defense in case of attack.
On defense spending, Rutte said Monday in Ankara that European countries and Canada have raised spending to 4% of GDP on defense and security, and said he expects concrete spending plans at the summit reaching 5% of GDP, in line with commitments made at last year's summit in The Hague.
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Source: Polish Radio