Other leaders, such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Macron, emphasized that Europe is now spending much more on defense because it serves Europe’s own interests. Merz also stressed continued commitment to Ukraine and called on Russia’s Vladimir Putin to strike a peace deal when he realizes that the coalition backing Kyiv will not budge.
Arming Ukraine is meant “not to fuel the war, but to pave the way towards peace and the end of the war,” Merz said, according to the participant.
That commitment to Ukraine was reflected in the final statement. It describes Russia as a “long-term threat” to the alliance and, as previously reported by POLITICO, pledges €70 billion in aid to Ukraine this year and another €70 billion next year. Ukraine is described as a contributor to transatlantic security.
NATO allies also committed to strengthening their industrial base, to awarding $50 billion in new military contracts, and to “eliminate defence trade barriers among allies.” That comes after Rutte touted a new “Made in NATO” concept on Tuesday to foster transatlantic industrial cooperation.
“We are investing in our ability to deploy, enable and sustain our armed forces and deliver our capability targets in all domains, including in deep precision strike, integrated air and missile defence, uncrewed systems, cutting edge technologies, and intelligence capabilities,” NATO allies also pledged.
Allies went into the summit hoping Trump would not blow up NATO and, despite some turbulence in his public comments, that goal was successful.