The NATO Summit in Ankara took place against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, growing pressure on European allies to strengthen their own defence capabilities, and continued uncertainty about the future of transatlantic burden-sharing. We spoke with MEP Mārtiņš Staķis about the Summit’s key outcomes, the roles of NATO and the EU in European security, and what new drone initiatives mean for Europe's defence.
1. The NATO Summit in Ankara on 7-8 July 2026 comes at a time when the Alliance is facing growing security challenges and increasing uncertainty about the long-term level of US military engagement in Europe. How do you assess the Summit's overall outcomes, and what do they imply for the future division of responsibilities between NATO and the EU in European security?
Summits with Trump always carry unpredictability, and this one had a rocky start before it went well. Europe and the US are converging on a shared vision - Europe invests more in its own defence, and any US drawdown happens gradually, with Europe picking up the strategic capabilities freed up. Ukraine's growing role in that security architecture is good news too, reflected in the roughly 70 billion euro support package pledged for 2026 and the promise of a licence to manufacture Patriot missiles in Ukraine. Headlines focused on Trump's many remarks, as usual, but behind them, the Alliance looks back on track for now. The EU's role is to complement this. Last week the European Commission proposed five European defence projects of common interest. NATO cannot legislate. Only the EU can build a genuine single market for defence.
2. Last year's NATO Summit was all about defence spending. This year's discussions focused more on capabilities. To what extent has the Summit supported NATO Member States in translating their financial commitments into concrete military capabilities?
At the Defence Industry Forum, Rutte launched the NATO Front Door for Industry, a single access point to NATO procurement, and the NATO Engine, which pools spare factory capacity across European, Canadian and US industry. And we can add over $50 billion in new procurement deals. The next test is delivery.
3. NATO unveiled several new drone-related initiatives during the summit. What significance do these have for Europe's defence industry?
NATO's new "Drone Edge" initiative, backing uncrewed and counter-drone systems with around 40 billion USD over five years, finally treats drones as core defence infrastructure. That's the lesson from Ukraine and the Middle East. Cheap, mass-produced drones can threaten Allied airspace, and countering them needs scale, not scattered national efforts. It also connects to the EU's Drone and Counter-drone Defence project (DECODER), where 26 EU Member States plus Norway and Ukraine are jointly building drone and counter-drone capacity.
The views and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue.
