By Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer
BRUSSELS, July 3 (Reuters) – NATO leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump are set to affirm an “ironclad commitment” to collective defence under the alliance’s Article 5 pact at a summit in Ankara next week, according to a text approved by NATO ambassadors on Friday and reviewed by Reuters.
NATO members are also set to pledge €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026 and “at least equivalent levels” of support in 2027, according to the declaration, which still needs final approval from the leaders at the summit.
“We … have gathered in Ankara to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our collective defence under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and to the transatlantic bond. An attack on one is an attack on all,” says the declaration for the summit, which takes place on July 7 and 8.
Trump has frequently railed against NATO and its members, accusing them of not spending enough on defence and relying on the United States to protect Europe.
After clashing with European leaders over the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, Trump cast doubt on the U.S. commitment to NATO’s mutual defence pact and even said he was considering quitting the alliance.
But the text, approved by the ambassadors of all NATO’s 32 members including the United States, suggests the U.S. president is willing to set aside those ideas, at least for now.
The declaration says Russia poses “a long-term threat” to “Euro-Atlantic security and stability” and says NATO’s European members and Canada are delivering on their commitment at last year’s summit in The Hague to increase defence spending.
“We are building the future: a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO,” the text says. “European Allies and Canada, working with the United States, are assuming greater responsibility for the Alliance’s defence.”
The text also states that “Allies reiterate that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon and call on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
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(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Lili BayerEditing by Bart Meijer and Peter Graff)
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