NATO leaders gathering for a summit in Ankara on July 7-8 will discuss a host of challenges facing the alliance, from Europe taking on more responsibility for the continent\u2019s security to boosting defence industrial production. <\/p>\n
Some officials worry the Iran war could overshadow the gathering, but hope leaders will remain focused on the alliance\u2019s core business: defence \u200band deterrence, News.az<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n Here is a look at the main challenges facing NATO in the months and years to come:<\/p>\n KEEPING TRUMP IN<\/p>\n NATO officials say one of their \u200cprimary goals is to maintain unity and keep the U.S. committed to the alliance\u2019s Article 5 clause, which specifies that an attack on one of its members is an attack on all.<\/p>\n The alliance faced two crises this year which have fuelled tension in the transatlantic relationship: U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s demands for ownership of Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO-member Denmark, and his anger at NATO allies over their \u200bresponse to the Iran war.<\/p>\n The U.S. president branded the alliance a “paper tiger” and said he was considering withdrawing from NATO. The alliance’s Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, has sought \u200bto smooth over tensions, using a mix of flattery and data to persuade Trump that European NATO members are fulfilling their promises.<\/p>\n BURDEN-SHIFTING<\/p>\n The \u2060Trump administration has pushed European governments to take on primary responsibility for the conventional defence of Europe as Washington seeks to dedicate more resources to the Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n Some changes are already under way: \u200bWashington has decided to shrink the pool of U.S. military capabilities available to NATO in a crisis, and European NATO members have filled almost all the gaps. U.S. Defense Secretary \u200bPete Hegseth has also announced a new review of America’s troop deployments in Europe and threatened to withhold some U.S. dues to NATO if “free-riding” allies did not meet their defence spending commitments.<\/p>\n European officials say they are working to step up on defence. But some have also questioned the U.S. approach, arguing that a transition requires time and raising concern about the unpredictability of policy coming from Washington.<\/p>\n Licensed dealers in the U.S. may soon be able to ship firearms directly to people’s homes.<\/p>\n SPENDING MORE<\/p>\n European \u200bNATO members and Canada are under significant pressure to boost defence investment both to improve deterrence and defence against Russia and to demonstrate to Trump that they are \u200btaking his demands for burden-shifting seriously.<\/p>\n At a summit in the Hague last year, NATO leaders backed the big increase in defence spending that Trump demanded, pledging to spend 5% of GDP on defence \u200cand defence-related measures \u2060within a decade. Countries pledged to spend 3.5% of GDP on core defence \u2014 such as troops and weapons \u2014 and 1.5% on broader defence-related measures.<\/p>\n NATO’s European allies and Canada increased defence spending by 20% in 2025 compared with the previous year in real terms, according to alliance data. But not everyone is on a trajectory to meet the new goals, and a number of governments are starting to run into political difficulties with defence spending.<\/p>\n INDUSTRY<\/p>\n With European NATO countries boosting defence investment, a major challenge for the alliance is how \u200bto turn money into new military capabilities \u200bin a short timeframe.<\/p>\n In Ankara, NATO members \u2060are expected to announce tens of billions of dollars in new contracts. But some officials have expressed frustration that production has not increased at the pace they had hoped and that it still takes years to get some orders.<\/p>\n NATO’s leadership has called on \u200bindustry to work together, open new production lines and deliver more quickly.<\/p>\n DETERRING RUSSIA<\/p>\n NATO leaders meeting in Ankara are expected to reiterate \u200bthat Russia poses a \u2060long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security.<\/p>\n While alliance officials say Russia is grappling with significant economic problems and Ukraine has strengthened its position, Rutte has cautioned that nearly half of Russia\u2019s state budget is now dedicated to defence and that the alliance cannot be naive about Moscow.<\/p>\n UKRAINE<\/p>\n European NATO members are continuing to finance aid for Kyiv, more than four years since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n Money \u2060is channelled \u200bin various ways, including bilateral assistance, a European Union loan and the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative where \u200bEuropean countries pay to supply Ukraine with U.S. weapons.<\/p>\n While most European leaders say they are committed to continuing to support Kyiv, sustaining a high level of funding remains a challenge amid other demands on national budgets \u200band concern in some capitals that some European governments are contributing disproportionately more than others.<\/p>\n