News analysis
In NATO’s next act, can Europe play the leading role?
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European leaders arrive for the 2026 NATO summit meeting in Ankara, Turkey, with the alliance under threat.
PHOTO: HAIYUN JIANG/NYTIMES
Steven Erlanger, Lara Jakes
- European leaders at the 2026 NATO summit accept a shift from US-led defence to a stronger European role amid US troop withdrawals and changing global priorities.
- NATO 3.0 aims for Europe to increase military spending and capabilities while maintaining US nuclear deterrence and leadership for alliance stability.
- Challenges include underfunded European armies, slow defence integration and the need for unified command to respond effectively to threats from Russia and China.
AI generated
ANKARA, Turkey – European leaders arrive for the 2026 NATO summit meeting in Ankara, Turkey, with the alliance under threat.
They want to keep US President Donald Trump and the United States deeply engaged in NATO, but they have come to accept that the alliance is changing – and will have to rely far less on Washington for the conventional defence of Europe.
