How to measure the success of this week’s NATO Summit in Ankara? By GDP or by opinion polls? The allied will to fight back to back is no less important than material defence readiness. Russia knows it better than most.
The expected focus is on industrial outputs. This can be delivered even as the Alliance’s institutional cohesion is at a moment of flux. Above all, the Summit will test the political resolve – whether Western leaders can still project unified purpose and unambiguous strategic intent.
The clearest signal is coming from Central and Eastern Europe. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, citing intelligence of an imminent Russian ‘provocation’ timed to coincide with the gathering, put it plainly – ‘We know your plans, so do not try it.’ It is essential that others will keep up with the message at the gathering, not chicken out.
Moscow is plainly intent on spoiling the occasion. Over the weekend Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reframed what Russia still calls its ‘special military operation’ as a de facto war against the collective West. ‘Behind Kyiv stand Berlin, Paris, The Hague, Oslo and, unfortunately, Washington,’ he said according to Interfax, accusing all of guiding the Ukrainian army to target Russian forces.
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