Conflict · ArchiveNATO Summit Opens in Ankara with 5% GDP Defense Target as US Plans 5,000-Troop WithdrawalAired July 7, 2026 at 3:56 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00That strike on Russia's largest0:01refinery,0:02>> [music]0:02>> a target nearly 3,000 km from Ukraine's0:05border, lands as NATO leaders gather in0:08Ankara for a summit that will test0:10whether the alliance is prepared to0:11counter Moscow's [music] aggression and0:13whether Europe is finally ready to pay0:15for its own defense. The 32-member0:17alliance opened its summit today in the0:19Turkish capital, [music]0:20the first on Turkish soil since Istanbul0:23in 2004.0:24Secretary General Mark [music] Rutte set0:27an uncompromising tone before leaders0:30even arrived. He demanded every member0:33present concrete [music] plans to reach0:35the 5% of GDP defense spending target0:38agreed at last year's Hague summit. That0:40target breaks down to 3 and 1/2% of GDP0:43on defense budgets [music] and 1 and0:451/2% on military infrastructure, roads,0:48bridges, and ports to move troops and0:50equipment [music] quickly.0:51The deadline is 2035,0:54but the numbers reveal how far the0:56alliance still [music] has to go.0:58No member has reached the 5% threshold.1:01>> [music]1:01>> Poland leads at 4.48%1:04while the United States itself spends1:06just 3.3. [music]1:07European allies and Canada are now1:10investing around 4% of [music] GDP in1:13defense and security, not yet five, but1:16Rutte said the evidence of progress so1:18far is [music] impressive. Collectively,1:21they will invest an additional $2581:23billion on defense in [music] 2025 and1:262026.1:28But President Trump is not waiting for1:302035. [music]1:32His administration is advancing what it1:34calls NATO 3.0, a fundamental1:36rebalancing [music] in which Europe1:38assumes primary responsibility for its1:40own security. Defense Secretary Pete1:43Hegseth announced a 6-month Pentagon1:45review of every US force [music] and1:47base in Europe.1:49The administration has already ordered1:51the withdrawal of 5,000 troops [music]1:52from Germany over the next year,1:54canceled an armored brigade deployment1:56to Poland,1:57>> [music]1:57>> and reduced the number of troops and1:59capabilities the US will commit to the2:01continent in a crisis.2:04That is forcing NATO to overhaul its2:06defense plans from the ground up.2:09Leaders are expected to unveil tens of2:11billions of dollars in new [music]2:13defense contracts, including a program2:15to replace NATO's aging AWACS2:17surveillance aircraft, now roughly2:20[music] 50 years old. Some European2:22allies are quadrupling production of2:24155-mm2:26artillery shells.2:28>> [music]2:28>> And for the first time, every ally gets2:30a report card. All of this unfolds here2:33in Ankara, [music]2:34where the backdrop is the war in Ukraine2:36and yesterday's drone strike deep in2:38Siberia, a reminder that Russia's2:40military threat has not diminished.2:43>> [music]2:43>> US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker,2:46asked whether there would be2:47consequences for countries that fall2:49short on spending, answered yes,2:50>> [music]2:51>> but nothing he would discuss publicly.2:53The question over the next two days2:55whether Europe's wallets have [music]2:57caught up with that reality. For Hayday2:59News, I'm Hannah Hayday.Explore with HeyDex