00:00First, to Ankara, where all 32 NATO leaders are meeting for their highly anticipated annual summit.
00:05Relations between the US President Donald Trump and his NATO allies have been fraught,
00:10as Washington has hit out over Europe and Canada's refusal to join the war in Iran.
00:15The gathering also comes just as Moscow steps up attacks on Kyiv,
00:19and as Ukraine warns, it has no missiles left to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
00:24For more, we can go straight to Ankara, where our NATO correspondent Shona Murray is standing by for us.
00:29Good morning, Shona. Just tell us, what is on the agenda today?
00:35Well, good morning, Maeve.
00:37Let me just first give you an indication about the immense security apparatus that is taking place here in Ankara.
00:42It's something I've never seen before at any NATO summit,
00:45in any situation where I've been in, even when there's a threat of suicide bombs.
00:49The whole of the city is completely shut down.
00:51It's very difficult to get anywhere unless you're with a NATO official bus.
00:56Any time you look to your left or your right, you have Secret Service, police, the army.
01:00It really is quite immense.
01:01And it tells you about the volatility of the world,
01:03but also geographically where Turkey is located with a very long Syria border.
01:09And also, as we know, on several occasions, four occasions at least,
01:13the Turkish army had to intercept ballistic missiles coming from Iran.
01:17But just, I suppose, for a note of today, Donald Trump is on his route here to Ankara.
01:21He touches down around three o'clock.
01:23His first meeting will be with President Erdogan, the host of this summit.
01:28It is expected that there will be an announcement from Donald Trump
01:31that Turkey may rejoin the United States F-35 programme.
01:35They were suspended from that a number of years ago for security reasons.
01:39But that really kind of goes along with the nature of today,
01:41because today is a day of announcements.
01:44The several hundreds of billions of dollars worth of defence spending
01:48will be announced to, of course, impress Donald Trump,
01:50because, as we know, he's been railing against NATO allies for underspending for decades.
01:55And, of course, we'll hear a lot about what Mark Rutte, the NATO Secretary-General,
01:59is calling Trump's trillion dollars.
02:01That is, one trillion dollars of spending from Canada and Europe
02:05over the past 10 years since the first Trump administration.
02:08Now, I'm joined, of course, here live in Ankara by the Dutch Defence Minister.
02:13Minister, you also will have a lot of announcements today, over 3 billion euros.
02:19Definitely.
02:20We are delivering on our pledge of last year for the 3.5% extra spending,
02:25because we think it's very much needed.
02:27We have a war on our continent.
02:30So, we are having different co-productions and coalitions
02:35and working together with countries such as Germany, Belgium, UK,
02:41making sure that we invest in marine ships, in air defence,
02:46in various different capabilities for ourselves.
02:49Indeed, and that has to happen because the United States
02:52has made significant announcements of withdrawing capabilities available to NATO.
02:56So, what harm do you think that has on NATO overall?
03:00I don't think it will do any harm,
03:02because I think that a strong Europe that is willing and able to deliver
03:06to make sure that it invests in defence spending makes a stronger NATO.
03:12So, I think that what President Trump is asking, it is not new.
03:17Previous presidents also asked the same thing about NATO members.
03:21Please step up.
03:22Don't rely on one ally.
03:23And I think that he's rightful to do so.
03:26And if you look at me, I'm the Minister of Defence in the Netherlands.
03:29And I think that I have to be responsible for the security and safety of my people
03:33within the alignment of the NATO.
03:35So, it's very important that I also deliver, make sure that we invest,
03:39and make sure that we are a strong partner.
03:41And, of course, this summit has been described by Mark Roger as a crucial summit because of this.
03:46But would you say that this is really the start of the Europeanisation of NATO?
03:51Europe really taking control of NATO in some ways?
03:55Well, I think we should be able to be strong partners.
03:58That is the key.
03:59So, the US will, of course, be one of the most important allies, such as Turkey.
04:05Very strong armies, a lot of spending.
04:08But, you know, Europe has to deliver as well.
04:10So, last year in The Hague, we promised a lot.
04:13But it's only worth those promises if you really deliver.
04:17So, today, I hope that I will see that from my colleagues.
04:20And colleagues who are not delivering, I will be talking to them as well.
04:24Because this is, we should, we have to do this together, united.
04:27As you well know, we have a war on our own continent.
04:30We have an enemy facing us, Putin.
04:33And it's very important that we are also able to stand up.
04:38So, what we will hear from Donald Trump, undoubtedly, is his severe anger over what he says is NATO allies
04:45abandoning the United States when it comes to the war in Iran.
04:47Now, we know that Germany and the UK did give the US plenty of basing rights and access to military
04:52bases.
04:52But that sort of, that doesn't really matter to Donald Trump.
04:55He is very annoyed at NATO.
04:56What do you expect from today?
04:57How will you respond?
04:59How will you placate him?
05:00Well, I think it's crucial that we all have a cool and calm head.
05:06Because, you know, we should be united.
05:08We have enemies against us.
05:10And those enemies fear us with reason.
05:12Because united, we stay strong.
05:14So, whatever today and tomorrow will happen, you will hear from me only this message.
05:20We need to be united.
05:22We need solidarity.
05:23We need to deliver.
05:26So, just stay calm and make sure that you do your job.
05:29In a word, do you think that the tide is turning and the war in Ukraine?
05:33Do you think that that's why Donald Trump is also being a bit more supportive?
05:35Because he likes to back the winner.
05:38I don't know what the reason might be.
05:40But I think it's very important that we support Ukraine.
05:42You are completely right.
05:43There is a window.
05:44There is momentum right now.
05:45And Ukraine is doing such a good job in standing firm, protecting, and also not only its own country, but
05:53the rest of Europe.
05:55So, I hope that many other countries will also not only pledge, but deliver for Ukraine.
06:01The Netherlands has been doing so since the beginning of the war.
06:04We are in the top three or five countries in the world supporting Ukraine.
06:07And I hope to see many more colleagues adding up, making sure that they have the car productions on drones,
06:14the pearl packages.
06:15I can continue.
06:16Exactly.
06:16We'll see an awful lot about it today.
06:18But, Minister Zacarias, thank you very much for joining us on Euronews.
06:21I'm back to you in studio, Maeve.
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