GENEVA, Switzerland: NATO leaders today reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to collective defence and alliance unity, declaring that “an attack on one is an attack on all” in a summit declaration adopted in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
The Ankara Summit Declaration said the allies remain committed to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, the transatlantic bond and a 360-degree approach to deterrence and defence, describing “unity, solidarity and collective strength as the foundation of peace, security and prosperity” for the alliance’s one billion citizens.
Citing Russia as a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and terrorism as a persistent challenge, the allies said European members and Canada last year increased investments in core defence requirements by more than USD139 billion.
The leaders announced more than USD50 billion in new defence procurements and committed to expanding collective manufacturing capacity, accelerating innovation with industry and removing defence trade barriers among allies.
They also pledged continued investment in advanced military capabilities, including deep precision strikes, integrated air and missile defence, uncrewed systems, intelligence, space and cyber capabilities, as well as the development of an interoperable transatlantic warfighting cloud and the adoption of artificial intelligence models.
On Ukraine, NATO said the allies remain united in their “unwavering support” for Kyiv’s freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity, pledging €70 billion (USD80 billion) in military equipment, assistance and training in 2026 while affirming sovereign commitments to sustain at least equivalent levels in 2027.
The declaration also welcomed the European Union’s multi-year Ukraine Support Loan.
The allies reiterated that Iran “must never have a nuclear weapon” and called on Tehran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz before thanking Türkiye for hosting the landmark summit. – BERNAMA-ANADOLU
