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.

This Tuesday, NATO leaders land in Ankara for an annual summit. The pre-negotiated statement promises an iron-clad 32-member family committed to collective protection. However,…

The leaders of NATO are meeting in Turkey, and one of the biggest issues on the agenda will be defense spending.

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