As NATO leaders gather in Ankara for a summit centred on defence investment, Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius has made clear that allies not meeting their spending commitments will face intensified pressure from their peers. Speaking to Euronews, Yeşilgöz-Zegerius stressed that promises made at last year's meeting in The Hague must now translate into concrete action.
“Last year in The Hague, we promised a lot. But it's only worth those promises if you really deliver,” she said. “Today, I hope that I will see that from my colleagues. And colleagues who are not delivering, I will be talking to them as well, because we have to do this together.”
Ankara Summit: A Push for Credible Plans
The summit, which opened with the Netherlands announcing an additional €3 billion in defence spending, is expected to see NATO countries unveil hundreds of billions of euros in new commitments. Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged allies to convert their pledges into tangible capabilities, such as Patriot air-defence systems, drone technology, and ammunition stockpiles.
“Here in Ankara, I expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach that 5 percent goal,” Rutte said at a pre-summit press conference. “We will announce tens of billions in new contracts that will provide the crucial kit we need to deter and defend.”
In 2025, core defence expenditure by European members and Canada rose by $139 billion (€122 billion) in a single year, a 20 percent increase. Yet three allies—Albania, Czechia, and Slovenia—have still not reached the earlier 2 percent of GDP target, and will now come under scrutiny to ensure they are investing adequately in modern defence capabilities.
Yeşilgöz-Zegerius framed the urgency in stark terms, pointing to the war on the continent. “As you well know, we have a war on our own continent. We have an enemy facing us, Putin, and it's very important that we are also able to stand up,” she said.
The Dutch minister's remarks come amid broader transatlantic tensions over burden-sharing, with the United States pressing allies to increase spending. The summit also reaffirms Article 5 commitments, as detailed in NATO Leaders to Reaffirm Article 5 at Ankara Summit Amid US Pressure. Meanwhile, the political backdrop includes Trump's Pre-Summit Pressure on NATO Allies Intensifies Ahead of Ankara Meeting, adding another layer of urgency to the discussions.
For Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, the message is clear: collective defence requires collective effort. “It's only possible to defeat the Russian threat on the European continent if everyone steps up,” she concluded.
