NATO Emphasizes Reconciliation and Solidarity, Moves to Appease Trump

The 32 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is facing its biggest crisis in 77 years since its launch, will meet in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, for two days on the 7th and 8th local time to discuss urgent issues and try to ease tensions.
This year’s annual summit comes at a time when the rift between Europe and the United States, and across the Atlantic, has widened more than ever amid the Greenland dispute and the Iran war. It is expected to serve as an important test of the alliance’s future direction.
The Ankara summit will also mark President Lee Jae Myung’s debut on the NATO stage. Lee was invited as part of the IP4, the four Indo-Pacific partners that NATO has recently placed greater emphasis on: South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The Blue House said his attendance signals a full push to expand defense industry cooperation with NATO allies, the world’s largest arms market, which accounts for 55% of global defense spending. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, South Korea has emerged as one of the most important weapons suppliers to European countries.
■ NATO to reaffirm collective defense obligations
Tensions between the two sides have intensified after European NATO allies strongly reacted in January to U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks and his apparent desire to forcibly annex Denmark’s Greenland. Relations worsened further after the outbreak of the Iran war on Feb. 28, when Europe responded lukewarmly to U.S. requests for support. Trump has lashed out, accusing European allies of relying on U.S. security while standing by when the United States needs them most, and has even raised the possibility of withdrawing from NATO.
Against that backdrop, the Atlantic alliance has entered the summit amid unprecedented division over the past six months, including Washington’s public disclosure of plans to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Europe.
In this situation, the key question at the meeting is whether the 30 European countries and Canada can succeed in appeasing the United States and repairing the cracks in the Atlantic alliance. The United States is the clear heavyweight, covering 60% of NATO’s defense spending.
Europe plans to calm Trump and strengthen NATO unity by stressing that most member states have honored the defense spending increases agreed at last year’s summit and that Europe is taking active steps to secure its own defense.
■ Billions of dollars in defense contracts and co-production deals also on the table
According to AP and other foreign media, the draft joint declaration to be released on the 8th says the leaders, including Trump, are expected to reaffirm the collective defense obligation set out in Article 5, NATO’s mutual defense clause. Trump is also expected to support NATO unity.
Another major event will be the sale of billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. weapons. The Trump administration’s plan is to closely link higher defense spending by allies with expanded exports of U.S. arms. During the summit, NATO will host an industrial forum with executives from major global defense companies and government officials to discuss ways to increase weapons production. NATO expects billions of dollars in defense contracts, preliminary agreements and co-production deals to be announced at the event. Support for Ukraine and the Iran issue will also be discussed as major agenda items.
Yoon Jae-joon, jjyoon@fnnews.com