NATO summit in Ankara ends with unity declaration amid internal divisions
International alliances often resemble complex mechanisms where outward unity conceals internal friction. When allies gather around one table, public statements about unity do not always reflect backstage realities. The Ankara NATO summit once again confirmed that even the most powerful military-political bloc is not immune to disagreements when it comes to money, commitments and strategic priorities.
The two-day NATO summit concluded on Wednesday in Ankara with the release of the Ankara Summit Declaration, which emphasised the need for collective efforts to boost defence investment. However, behind the outward display of unity lie unresolved disagreements between the United States and its European allies, as well as divisions among European states themselves. The most visible source of friction is the rift between the US and its European partners.
Upon arriving in Ankara, US President Donald Trump again lashed out at European countries, accusing some of falling significantly behind in increasing defence spending and even threatening to cut all trade ties between the United States and Spain. The US president also revived his long-standing issue regarding Greenland.
Huseyin Bagci, professor of international relations at the Middle East Technical University, pointed to a fundamental erosion of trust within the alliance: "On the one hand, there is mistrust between America and European countries, but there is also a transatlantic divide, and most European Union countries have problems with the United States as NATO members." Military aid to Ukraine became another major flashpoint at the summit.
Although leaders formally approved a €70 billion aid package for Ukraine, a number of European countries ruled out funding even before the meeting began. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev bluntly stated at the summit that Bulgaria no longer had surplus military equipment to send to Ukraine. Disagreements also persisted over the alliance's goal of raising defence spending to 5 percent of GDP, with several European countries yet to present concrete plans to achieve the target.
Some analysts warn that blindly expanding military power will not ease security concerns and will instead shift the financial burden onto ordinary European citizens. At a press conference after the summit closed, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte still tried hard to present a "united" NATO to the outside world. However, it seems that the alliance is still far from truly overcoming its internal divisions. The Ankara summit was the second hosted by Turkey and took place amid intensified pressure from Washington on European allies over defence spending.
Trump's demand to raise military budgets to 5% of GDP has met resistance in many European capitals, especially amid economic slowdown. The Greenland issue, which the US president has raised before, also added tension to US-Denmark relations.
As CCTV+ reports. The divisions exposed at the summit point to deep structural problems within NATO that may require a fundamental review of the transatlantic partnership model.
