NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on July 6 that he will unveil a series of major new defense industry contracts on July 7 (local time), the first day of the NATO summit held in Ankara, the capital of Turkey.
According to AFP and Reuters, Secretary General Rutte told a press conference in Ankara, "We will announce new contracts worth tens of billions of dollars to provide key equipment needed for deterrence and defense."
Rutte explained that the plan will be unveiled at the defense industry forum, an official event of the NATO summit taking place on July 7.
Rutte emphasized that European NATO allies and Canada are already investing approximately 4% of their gross domestic product (GDP) in defense and security, moving toward narrowing the defense spending gap with the United States.
He added, "There is already groundbreaking progress toward reaching the 5% spending target," and stated, "I expect each country to present clear, concrete, and credible plans to achieve the 5% goal at the summit."
These remarks are drawing attention as U.S. President Donald Trump is set to review the fulfillment of defense spending increase pledges by European allies during this summit.
On July 5, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in a press call regarding the U.S. agenda for the NATO summit, "At the Ankara summit, we will review the progress on the Hague defense pledge."
Previously, NATO member states agreed at the NATO summit held in The Hague, Netherlands, in June of last year to spend 5% of their GDP on defense by 2035, in accordance with President Trump's demands.
On the same day, Secretary General Rutte mentioned the need for NATO allies and partner countries to continue their support for Ukraine, stating, "Ukraine needs sustained support, particularly in the field of air defense."
He also expressed caution regarding China, saying, "We should not be naive about China," and added, "Changes in the situation in the Pacific region also affect the region across the Atlantic."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)