About this episode

The episode discusses the outcomes of the NATO summit in Ankara, highlighting Europe's increased defense responsibilities and the US's strategic role.

This week, the Allies met for the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, in what was billed as a summit of low expectations. President Donald Trump once again created headlines with public comments about Greenland and criticism of European allies for failing to support the United States during the Iran conflict—but by most accounts, the conversations behind closed doors were far more constructive, and the summit avoided the kind of transatlantic rupture that many feared. Outcomes were positive for Ukraine as the European allies and Canada made clear that they are now the backbone of support. Trump also told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States will license the production of Patriot missile interceptors in Ukraine.Overall, the biggest takeaway then wasn't politics at all, but procurement. Through the NATO Defense Industry Forum, the Allies announced more than $50 billion in new procurement and industrial agreements, signaling that NATO is moving beyond talking about defense spending to actually building the industrial capacity needed to sustain deterrence.Taken together, these developments raise a broader question about the future of the alliance. In many ways, the summit…

Topics covered

• NATO summit
• European defense
• US foreign policy
• military procurement
• transatlantic relations

Keywords

• NATO
• Trump
• Ukraine
• defense spending
• military procurement
• European allies
• transatlantic relations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NATO, European allies, Canada

Places: Ankara, Türkiye, Ukraine

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• Getting the Brits Ready to Fight · June 22, 2026 · 56 min
• Brussels Sprouts Live: Four Ambassadors Reimagine the Transatlantic Relationship · June 17, 2026 · 26 min

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