NATO leaders gather in Ankara on July 7-8 to discuss defense spending, industrial capacity and support for Ukraine — opening just after a massive missile strike hit Kyiv.
NATO leaders convene in Ankara, Türkiye, on July 7-8, 2026, for a summit that will shape the alliance's direction on defense spending, industrial capacity and support for Ukraine. It's only the second NATO summit hosted by Türkiye since Istanbul in 2004, and it opens just days after one of the heaviest Russian strikes on Kyiv this year.
Allies have reaffirmed a target of 5% of GDP in defense spending, with some members set to reach it ahead of schedule this year. On July 7, the summit hosts a Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF26) focused on scaling up production and strengthening supply chains. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte summed up the logic bluntly: "There is no strong defence without a strong defence industry."
The summit's declaration states that the alliance's security is "inextricably linked" to Ukraine's. NATO is expected to keep up unprecedented military assistance — training and equipment alike — while setting new capability targets, including a fivefold increase in air defense capacity to close gaps in ammunition, air and missile defense, and long-range weapons.
The summit opens just a day or two after a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv killed at least nine people. President Zelensky has urged allies to leave Ankara with "strong decisions" on air defense, pointing to a shortage of interceptor missiles as the reason not a single ballistic missile was stopped that night.
The decisions made in Ankara will shape how well-protected Ukrainian cities are against strikes like the one that just hit Kyiv. Volunteers Support Ukraine keeps up its humanitarian work regardless of the pace of international diplomacy, but every strengthening of air defense means fewer destroyed homes and fewer families needing emergency help.
