This week, the leaders of NATO’s thirty-two member states gathered for the alliance’s 2026 summit in Turkey. Over two days of private meetings and public remarks, the states discussed a range of issues and challenges facing the alliance—from the threat posed by Russia to the pressing need for European states to shoulder more of the burden of defending Europe.
But how much can observers learn from the summit? In a period that has been marked by intra-alliance friction, were there signals that fissures are closing? Or do divisions remain? And given the remarkable commitment by members to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense, did leaders give signs of progress toward meeting this goal? More importantly, as defense spending by European NATO members increases, what are they actually spending this money on and to what degree is it directly enhancing the alliance’s capabilities?
To explore those questions and more, John Amble is joined on this episode by Rachel Rizzo, a senior fellow with the Observer Research Foundation’s Strategic Studies Programme.
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