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NATO's $1.2 Trillion Burden-Sharing Test Moves to Ankara

7/6/2026

Since 2017, European NATO allies and Canada have added more than $1.2 trillion in cumulative defense investment — and the alliance now faces pressure to show that money is producing capability, not just commitments.

Since The Hague summit alone, allies have committed nearly $139 billion in new defense spending, with roughly half flowing into American-made equipment. The Ankara summit is the next accountability moment.

The Hague Pledge and What It Demands At The Hague, NATO allies made a historic pledge to spend five percent of GDP annually on core defense and security-related capabilities.

The target was framed not as a floor but as a mandate to shift the conventional defense of Europe to European forces, with the United States providing more focused support — including its nuclear umbrella.

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