NATO 3.0: High Stakes for Ukraine Ahead of Tens of Billions in Arms Deals at Ankara Summit

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced Thursday that allies will unveil tens of billions of dollars in new defense-related contracts at the Alliance’s upcoming summit in Ankara, where leaders are also expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council, the NATO chief outlined the July 7–8 summit in Turkey as a test of whether allies can turn higher defense spending into real military production, while keeping long-term backing for Kyiv on the agenda.

“Tens of billions” of dollars in new defense-related contracts will be announced at the summit, Rutte stated.

The Ankara meeting is expected to highlight Europe’s push to expand its defense industrial base, increase ammunition and weapons production, and reduce long-standing capability gaps across the Alliance.

Ukraine support on the agenda

NATO will also pledge support for Ukraine at the summit, which President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend, according to Rutte.

The remarks come as Kyiv presses allies for more air defense systems, interceptors and long-range capabilities following repeated Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, energy infrastructure and civilian sites.

Rutte has repeatedly argued that Ukraine’s security is inseparable from Europe’s security, warning that a Russian victory would pose a direct threat to the Alliance’s eastern flank.

Ankara summit to focus on delivery

NATO officials have framed the Ankara summit as a key moment for turning higher defense spending into real industrial output.

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At a NATO defense ministers’ meeting earlier this month, Rutte told allies they had made “good progress” ahead of the summit, with member states increasing investment in the forces and capabilities needed to defend Alliance territory.

The secretary general has urged allies to spend more and spend better, arguing that defense production must keep pace with the scale of the threat posed by Russia.

Turkey, which is hosting the summit, has also positioned its defense industry as a major part of the Alliance’s rearmament push. Turkish officials have described defense production as a central theme in Ankara, alongside NATO’s long-term support for Ukraine.

NATO 3.0

Rutte’s remarks pointed to what he described as “NATO 3.0” – a new phase for the Alliance shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine, intensifying global threats, and an urgent push to turn defense spending into real industrial output.

The concept marks a profound evolution for NATO, moving it from a primarily political and deterrence-focused alliance toward an industrially mobilized military bloc.

Crucially, this new era requires European allies to assume greater responsibility for conventional defense by building the capacity to produce weapons, ammunition and air defense systems at the pace demanded by Europe’s new security reality.