NATO leaders meet at summit in Türkiye this Tuesday (7)
The leaders of the member countries of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) begin, this Tuesday (7), the alliance summit in Ankara, Turkey.
The meeting, which continues until Wednesday (8), takes place amid tensions between the US and European allies and its main themes are the war in Ukraine, security in the Strait of Hormuz and strengthening Europe's military capacity.
The meeting takes place after months of friction between the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and European leaders, mainly due to differences related to the conduct of the conflict with Iran and American pressure for allies to increase their investments in defense.
According to a senior US official, Washington expects leaders to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global oil transport.
"I certainly believe that the Strait of Hormuz and the protection of maritime traffic passing through there will be issues addressed," the official said.
In addition to maritime security, the Trump administration intends to reinforce its demand for allies to increase military spending and reduce dependence on the United States on collective defense.
War in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine occupies a central position on the summit's agenda. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is taking part in the meeting and is expected to meet bilaterally with Trump.
On Monday (6), Trump stated that a solution to the war is "closer than people think" and said he intends to discuss the conflict during meetings in Ankara.
The meeting between the two comes after a new Russian offensive against Kiev, which left more than 20 people dead. In the same period, Ukrainian forces attacked Russia's largest oil refinery, located in the Omsk region, Siberia, with drones.
According to the White House, Trump is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Europe accelerates rearmament plans
In parallel to the summit discussions, European countries announced advances in initiatives to expand their defense capacity.
The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland and Poland reported that they are working to create, by 2027, a joint mechanism for the acquisition of military equipment. Canada is expected to announce a group of founding countries of a bank aimed at financing the renewal of allies' defensive capabilities.
On the eve of the meeting, the Canadian government also confirmed the purchase of 12 German submarines to reinforce its presence in the Arctic.
Tension with Italy
On the eve of the summit, Trump once again provoked the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni.
The American president published a photograph of the prime minister on social media accompanied by the caption "PROTECTIVE MEASURE NECESSARY", rekindling an exchange of criticism that began after the G7 summit, held in France last month.
When asked about the publication, Italy's Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, minimized the episode and stated that the most important thing is to preserve relations between Rome and Washington.
Members of the Italian opposition have criticized Trump. The leader of the Azione party, Carlo Calenda, classified the American president as "a despicable and petty bully".
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Source: CNN