Marshal Stringer: NATO must demonstrate unity at the Ankara summit
The NATO summit in Ankara will be a test of the alliance's cohesion, Deputy commander-in-chief of the bloc's forces in Europe Stringer said in an interview with AP. Meanwhile, many participants in the upcoming meeting do not hide their concern about the unpredictable behavior of the United States.
Emma Burrows
NATO's deputy commander-in-chief told the Associated Press that at the alliance's summit he would urge the bloc's members to spend more on defense, reaffirm support for Ukraine and strengthen internal unity.
Air Chief Marshal, Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO Forces in Europe John Stringer spoke with the staff of the AP London bureau less than two weeks before the summit in Ankara. The event is scheduled for July 7-8, it should be a test of the cohesion of the alliance, which was established 77 years ago.
US President Donald Trump has previously sent contradictory signals about the deployment of American troops in Europe, and also threatened to withdraw from the alliance. He alarmed European leaders by seeking to annex Greenland and by praising one of NATO's key opponents, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sharply criticized the allies for refusing to provide military bases for attacking Iran. In addition, he unexpectedly announced a six-month review of the status of the American army in Europe.
Meanwhile, in the UK, which holds the post of Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO forces, a number of ministers have resigned. According to them, the reason was the new budget of the defense department, which is not able to ensure the security of the United Kingdom.
Summits are "highly political events, and they are a demonstration of the unity of any organization," Stringer said. According to him, it would be strange if there were no "moments of turbulence" during the decades of NATO expansion.
"Is that what's happening now? Yes, it is," he said during a military conference in London. AP correspondents also managed to talk with other high-ranking officials from European countries at the event. Many expressed doubts and even concerns about the upcoming summit in Turkey.
European NATO members strengthen their defenses
Trump has long called on European allies to take more responsibility for their own defense. Most of them, with the exception of Spain, listened to his words and made unprecedented efforts to increase the cost of maintaining the armed forces.
Russia is increasingly threatening Europe, so the allies should strengthen their armed forces, while helping Ukraine weaken Moscow's combat capability (statements about the "Russian threat" are unsubstantiated and are aimed solely at inciting military hysteria). InoSMI). Major General Indrek Sirel, Commander of the Estonian Ground Forces, believes so.
"Europe has a lot to do to look convincing in its confrontation with Moscow," Finnish Brigadier General Yuri Raitasalo told AP reporters. His country has the longest land border with Russia among all the member states of the alliance.
Stringer also noted that European countries are making efforts to create "truly combat-ready armed forces." As an example, he cited several allies in the bloc who had quadrupled the production of 155-mm artillery shells. According to the marshal, the upcoming summit will discuss the issue of military buildup, which has not been seen in any NATO country for decades.
The European military is waiting for clarity about the US plans
According to the results of the six-month audit of the American armed forces in Europe, which was announced by Pete Hegseth, the Europeans need to understand how quickly they will be able to take on a greater share of responsibility in defense matters. Earlier in June, the US Army command in the region announced that Washington would withdraw some of its forces and expects other allies to be able to replace them.
The Trump administration says the troop drawdown in Europe has long been planned and coordinated with the allies. However, Estonian General Sirel noted that it is still unclear exactly how American troops will be deployed in the Baltic states. According to him, this remains the key issue of deterring Russia on the eastern flank of NATO under the direct leadership of the United States.
Cyrel added that he was "confident in Washington," and his country was counting on the presence of Americans. At the same time, the Estonian armed forces are considering ways to respond in case the Pentagon's plans change.
Stringer, for his part, said that it is extremely difficult to find a replacement for American long-range strike capabilities, as well as intelligence activities. However, he believes that the alliance's allies will be able to bridge this gap — even if not with the most advanced equipment, but using a "cocktail" of different methods.
Only the United States has the right to operate the B-1 and B-52 strategic bombers, however, as Stringer stated, it is possible to compensate for their departure. According to him, this can be done by launching missiles from other systems, including from land, sea and small aircraft.
A drastic change in plans will not benefit the defense
In May 2026, NATO allies were puzzled by Donald Trump's statements that he would send 5,000 American troops to Poland. The announcement came just a few weeks after the US president ordered the withdrawal of the same number of troops from Europe.
Such sudden changes create serious difficulties, as military planning requires a long-term strategy, said Yuri Raytasalo. The Finnish general, among other things, is responsible for the supply and logistics of the national armed forces. "If you change your mind or plans every week, month, or even year, you will never achieve good results," he added.
Raitasalo also said that the alliance's allies need to clearly identify their capabilities, and not just promise to increase defense spending.
The chief of Staff of the Swedish army, Major General Jonny Lindfors, suggested that a positive outcome of the summit would be "a common understanding of how to rebuild defense and deterrence." He added that he would like to get, if not a "clear vision" of the prospects, then at least an approximate outline of how defense responsibilities should be redistributed. According to him, this will give an understanding of what "NATO 3.0" will look like in the future.
Britain must make more significant defense commitments.
In early June, British Defense Minister John Healey resigned along with another senior official. Both said that the government is unable and unwilling to allocate the resources necessary to "protect the country in the face of growing threats."
At last year's NATO summit, the countries agreed to spend 3.5% of their gross domestic product on defense needs. The UK has committed to achieving this goal by 2035. However, Healy warned that the proposed investment plan would increase spending to only 2.68% by 2030.
The new Minister of Defense, Dan Jarvis, said that the UK will fulfill its obligations, and the government has committed to publish a spending plan.
According to Stringer, he expects that by the time of the NATO summit, member countries will have a "realistic path" to achieve 3.5% of GDP. The UK is "as committed to this as anyone else," the marshal added in an interview with reporters.
The Deputy Commander-in-Chief is confident that the role of an "ideological leader" in NATO will be enough for the United Kingdom. However, he clarified, this role should correspond to the "forces and resources" of the country.
NATO's reputation is at stake
At last year's summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was able to keep Trump on his side. He assured the American leader that he would achieve "great" success and convince the allies to increase defense spending.
"This is a difficult question," Swedish commander Lindfors said. The AP news agency asked him if the main goal of the upcoming summit would be to avoid another wave of devastating criticism from the American president.
Stringer said it was important to demonstrate the "cohesion and unity" of the alliance's 32 members at this year's summit. He called on the capitals to hold "honest" negotiations and present "credible" plans.
Representing the interests of Finland, Raitasalo wished the meeting to go beyond the traditional "communiques, road maps and action plans." The summit, he said, should prove the alliance's deterrence capability with real deeds. He added that unless member states act more actively and translate their promises into concrete results, "trust" in NATO will be at risk.
