President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara Monday for the annual NATO summit, set to be dominated by Ukraine aid, defense spending demands, and Turkey's expanding role within the alliance. The two-day gathering places Trump alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is leveraging the summit to burnish his image as a global power broker.
Trump pushes spending targets
Trump has long pressed NATO members to meet the 2% of GDP defense spending target, and multiple allies have recently announced increases. The president is also expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday for what officials described as a renewed push for a negotiated settlement to the war with Russia. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would pass Trump's voter ID bill this week, a move that could reshape voting laws ahead of the midterm elections.
Turkey's rising influence
Erdogan enters the summit at a moment of domestic crackdown on political dissent but also unprecedented foreign policy influence. Turkey's defense industry, including its Bayraktar drones, has made it an indispensable NATO member.
Alliance under strain
The summit comes as NATO faces internal divisions over defense commitments and the war in Ukraine. Trump has alternately threatened to leave the alliance and demanded allies pay more. But recent progress on spending targets and Turkey's cooperation on Sweden's accession have smoothed tensions ahead of the Ankara meetings.