By Anadolu Agency
July 6, 2026 6:07 amBERLIN
NATO’s Ankara summit this week will demonstrate to US President Donald Trump that European allies are stepping up within the alliance, Germany’s deputy defense minister said.
“Trump can be sure that burden shifting is not just a slogan, it’s in action, and we’ve seen this not only in Germany, but among other European member states,” Nils Schmid said in an exclusive interview with Anadolu.
“We expect the Ankara summit to send a clear signal of unity, to strengthen the transatlantic bond, and to make clear that from both sides of the Atlantic, NATO is the central institution for collective defense.”
The July 7–8 summit in Türkiye’s capital will bring together leaders from all NATO members, alongside top military commanders and defense and foreign ministers. Trump’s decision to attend — after months of strained relations with European allies — has raised the stakes for the gathering.
Responding to Trump’s sharp criticism that European allies are not contributing enough to NATO, Schmid said members have already begun significantly increasing defense budgets and are moving to meet targets set at NATO’s 2025 Hague summit.
Leaders there agreed to raise the benchmark for core defense spending to at least 3.5% of GDP, up from 2%.
“I would like to note that all European allies now pass the threshold of the 2% spending target, which was set for the last period in NATO, and now more and more of the European allies are well on the way to bring their military expenditure up to 3.5% of GDP,” Schmid said.
“Of course, there’s a diverse picture across European member states, but I can tell you that Germany, as the second largest economy inside NATO after the US, is now set to meet this target by 2029, well ahead of the date that was set, which is 2035,” he said.
At the Ankara summit, allies are expected to review progress on those spending targets while seeking clarity on key strategic issues — including the future of US security guarantees for Europe, potential changes in American troop levels on the continent, and whether Washington will maintain critical military capabilities to support European defense.
The discussions come just weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a Pentagon “NATO 3.0 review” of America’s military footprint in Europe, which he said would accelerate a “fast and irreversible” shift toward greater European self-reliance and free US forces to address broader global priorities.
Schmid said the Trump administration’s announcement that it plans to reduce troop levels in Europe did not come as a surprise.
He noted that previous US administrations had also signaled such a shift as Washington’s strategic focus moved from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.
European allies are preparing to address any resulting gaps in personnel and capabilities, he said, but stressed that any drawdown must be carefully coordinated.
“In terms of capabilities, we are very confident that Europeans can work together to fill gaps that may arise over the coming years,” he said.
“The important thing is that we are doing this in a coordinated manner among allies, meaning that there should be a roadmap for us NATO members in Europe, if and when American key elements, military elements, will be withdrawn.”
Schmid said Germany is working with its European NATO allies and EU partners to adapt to the new phase – boosting Europe’s military capabilities, deepening defense‑industry cooperation and speeding up the development of advanced weapons.
“We need NATO to become more European so it can remain a strong transatlantic bond,” he said, adding that new EU defense initiatives should complement – rather than duplicate – NATO structures.
He emphasized that such efforts should remain inclusive, allowing cooperation with non-EU NATO partners.
“For us, it’s important to have venues of cooperation with NATO partners which are not members of the EU. And I’m confident that partner countries like Great Britain, Norway, but also Türkiye can be very helpful in that,” he said.
“Since we are now under time constraints, meaning that NATO is preparing for the date of 2029 … That’s why for us, cooperation with non-EU NATO member states is part of the equation,” he said.
European politicians often point to 2029 as a key planning date because NATO military assessments suggest Russia could, by the end of the decade, pose a more direct threat—and potentially even attack a NATO member state in eastern Europe.
Schmid said this week’s NATO summit will be an opportunity to discuss these issues, adding that it will also highlight Türkiye’s growing role within the NATO alliance and in Europe’s security and defense.
He noted that Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as conflicts in the Middle East, have once again underscored this for Europeans.
“Türkiye plays a vital role in NATO and for European security. And this has been demonstrated over the course of the last (few) years,” Schmid said.
“Security in the Black Sea, stability at the southern flank of NATO can only be provided through Türkiye and its armed forces. So Türkiye has always been an essential element of the NATO defense posture and will remain so.”
He added: “And this is also clear with regard to the Middle East. And that’s why the Ankara Summit is a good demonstration of Turkey’s essential role inside NATO now.”
Schmid also said Germany is exploring closer cooperation with Türkiye on the defense industry as it seeks to ensure European allies take on more responsibility for Europe’s defense and security.
He said this week’s Defence Industry Forum, to be held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, will be a key opportunity for discussions among European, German and Turkish defense companies.
“We see that Türkiye’s defense industry has grown over the last years. And we’ve seen that there are new technologies evolving in the field of drones, but also deep precision strikes. And so, we are exploring different possibilities,” Schmid said.
He named cooperation on long-range missiles as one of the potential areas, to help close gaps in Europe’s long-range missile capabilities.
“We are looking at different options for long-range missiles. And as (Defense) Minister Boris Pistorius said, of course, we are also looking at ideas coming from Türkiye,” Schmid said.
“The leading principle for us is to fill capability gaps as quickly as possible. And you may have different technological options available to fulfill some of the capability targets,” he said, referring to alternative projects European allies are discussing to address gaps left by the US drawdown of forces.
“We have learned to have a wider look at potential cooperation partners. And in this context, of course, as Minister Pistorius said, we are also looking at Turkish products,” Schmid added, confirming earlier media reports of German interest in Yildirimhan and Tayfun missiles, which are currently under development.
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