Tensions rise inside NATO over Ukraine war and defense spending, AP reports

The decision was driven by divisions among allies over defense spending, the situation surrounding Iran, and the war in Ukraine, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed. According to him, NATO countries have not yet agreed on a date for the next summit, though it will definitely not take place in 2027. If the leaders' meeting is scheduled for 2028, it will be hosted in the Albanian capital, Tirana.

The reduction in contacts applies not only to meetings of heads of state and government. NATO defense ministers usually meet in October, but no such meeting took place last month. No talks are scheduled for October 2027 either. In addition, next year, the Alliance's foreign ministers will hold just one meeting instead of two. NATO has described these changes as a "reorganization package."

Meanwhile, since taking office, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have repeatedly skipped NATO meetings or left before the talks concluded. Hegseth, in particular, used defense ministers' meetings to criticize European allies and Canada and urge them to take more decisive action.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte does not consider the reduction in the number of summits a problem. In an interview with the Associated Press, he stressed that the Alliance takes a flexible approach to organizing such events and brings leaders together whenever the need arises.

About a decade ago, NATO summits were generally held every two years. However, organizing them requires substantial financial resources and extensive preparations.

For example, the Netherlands needed a year to prepare for the leaders' meeting in The Hague in 2025. The country spent around $100 million on hosting the event.

According to officials, NATO had to decide on the summit's location by October to give Albania enough time to prepare to host participants next year.

The scale of the organizational effort is also evident from this year's summit in Türkiye. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted guests at a large palace complex in Ankara. A military airport was renovated to accommodate the arrival of foreign leaders, tens of thousands of security personnel were deployed, and parts of the capital were effectively closed off. In addition, some civil servants whose work was not considered critical were given a week off.

Rutte explained that hosting such events always involves extensive security measures. Moreover, the summits bring together not only representatives of the Alliance's 32 member states but also partner countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

Asked whether such expenses were justified, the NATO Secretary General answered in the affirmative.

It recently became known that the US had proposed that Ukraine give up its NATO ambitions in exchange for Donbas.

We also reported that Russia urged NATO to formalize a pledge not to expand eastward on paper.