ANKARA: NATO on Tuesday said core defense spending by Europe and Canada rose 11 percent in 2026, as US President Donald Trump pressures allies to make good on a vow to ramp up budgets. The latest figures were released as leaders from the 32-nation alliance come face-to-face with Trump at a summit in Ankara. NATO estimated that spending by Europe and Canada in 2026 would hit $634 billion from $571 billion in 2025, still well off US expenditure on its military. The increase was down on a roughly 19 percent uptick from 2024 to 2025.

As doubts swirl over US President Donald Trump's commitment to protecting NATO, Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own defence. After decades of underinvestment by…

Leaders are expected to focus on whether Europe can turn higher defense spending into military power as Washington pushes allies to shoulder more of the burden.

For many years, NATO was about charity. The United States and a select few European countries provided for the alliance.