Donald Trump has arrived in Ankara for a major Nato summit, along with a host of other world leaders. But the man taking the shortest journey is the one hoping to walk away with the most.
Security is expected to be tight in the Turkish capital, with thousands of police and soldiers guarding the summit being held at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vast Cumhurbaskanligi Saray palace. Stray dogs and would-be protesters have already been rounded up and meetings planned out meticulously.
According to the summit’s advance declaration, allied countries are making progress towards a 5 per cent of GDP spending target and will give Ukraine €70bn (£60bn) this year, and a similar sum in 2027. There will also be a reaffirmation of Article 5, under which Nato members come to each other’s aid if one is attacked.
Shorts
Boosting European defence to cover any US drawdowns from the region is another major goal, and one country is hoping to score big, as well as from the changed landscape since the US-Israeli war with Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which so much of the world’s oil once flowed.
