The Netherlands will announce defense deals and plans worth more than €3 billion at a NATO forum in Ankara. Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius stated that extra pressure will be applied to NATO allies who are not stepping up their defense spending.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte demanded that members present clear, concrete, and credible plans to reach the organization's defense spending targets at the annual summit in Ankara. Rutte noted that to stay transatlantic, the alliance must become more European.
Rutte reported that European Allies and Canada spent nearly 20 per cent more on core defence than the previous year. Ahead of the summit, Mark Rutte and Ursula von der Leyen urged cooperation among members.