The Turkish capital, Ankara, is becoming a hub for global diplomacy, hosting the historic 36th NATO summit. The two-day forum (July 7-8, 2026) brings together leaders of all 32 member states, but the long-awaited event begins against a backdrop of serious strategic disagreements, new Russian bombings of Kiev and open pressure from Washington.
Trump to Europe: Defense spending is “ridiculous“
US President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara, determined to impose the concept of „NATO 3.0“ – transformation from a model of dependency to real burden sharing. Even before the start of the meeting, Trump criticized the European allies, describing their previous financial commitments as “ridiculous“ and “unilateral“. The White House and US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker confirmed that Washington is pushing allies to immediately embark on a course towards spending 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. As an additional tool for pressure, the Pentagon has begun a review of the US military presence in Europe, which could lead to the withdrawal of troops from countries such as Germany, Italy and Spain.
Zelensky's mission and the air defense crisis
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending the forum at a critical moment. Just hours before the meeting, Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike on Kiev, killing dozens of civilians. Due to an acute shortage of anti-missile interceptors, Ukrainian forces were unable to intercept any of the ballistic missiles.
In Ankara, Zelensky will hold a critical bilateral meeting with Donald Trump on Wednesday. The US president, who recently held talks with Vladimir Putin, has said his goal is to reach a quick peace agreement to end the war, which is now in its fifth year. However, the Ukrainian delegation will insist on urgent and accelerated deliveries of systems Patriot, while allies remain divided on the issue of providing a clear plan for Ukraine's membership in the Alliance, which the United States strongly opposes.
Host Turkey and the Middle East
For the first time in the organization's history, Turkey is turning its capital into a security fortress. Nearly 60,000 law enforcement officers and over 600 cybersecurity experts have been mobilized for the event. In addition to talks on the Eastern Flank, the Black Sea region and Ukraine, on the sidelines of the meeting, Trump is planning an unexpected meeting with the new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The diplomatic move aims to put pressure on Damascus to counter the Shiite group Hezbollah in the context of ongoing regional tensions.
The Bulgarian delegation in Ankara is led by caretaker Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who before the start of the leaders' meeting also held a personal conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex “Beştepe“.