Nato leaders gathering in Ankara are entering this year’s summit with one overriding priority: avoid provoking US President Donald Trump and keep the alliance focused on areas where consensus is still possible.According to Politico, European allies have adopted what diplomats privately describe as a strategy of “Trump management” after a turbulent year marked by disputes over defence spending, the Iran conflict and Trump’s repeated criticism of Nato members. The aim, the report said, is to reassure the US president that Europe is increasing military investment while steering clear of issues that could trigger fresh divisions.“There’s no alternative how to approach him but to be diplomatic and not to extremely offend him and saying that we’re stepping up,” Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken told Politico. “That’s what we need to do and that’s what we’re doing.”One senior Nato diplomat was even more blunt, telling the publication that the goal was to “keep one person happy and satisfied”, adding: “It’s all about Trump management.”The alliance hopes to make that case by unveiling a series of military projects worth billions of dollars during what Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte has called a “big reveal”. The announcements are expected to include new contracts with defence companies, many of them American, as well as plans to replace Nato’s ageing fleet of AWACS surveillance aircraft.“We will announce tens of billions in new contracts that will provide the crucial kit we need to deter and defend,” Rutte said ahead of the summit, adding that Nato must translate “economic might into military capabilities”.The emphasis on defence investment follows Trump’s long-running complaints that European allies have failed to contribute enough to the alliance. Although Rutte recently presented figures showing European allies and Canada had added more than $1.2 trillion in defence spending since 2017, Trump remained unconvinced, saying he wanted “loyalty” rather than money and criticising allies that stayed out of the recent US-Israeli military action against Iran.Despite efforts to keep the summit focused on defence industry and military spending, officials acknowledge that Trump’s unpredictability continues to cast a shadow over the meeting. Politico reported that disputes over defence budgets, US access to European military bases or renewed tensions involving Iran could quickly dominate proceedings.The gathering also comes as Washington pushes its vision of a “Nato 3.0”, under which European members would shoulder greater responsibility for the continent’s security while the United States shifts more of its strategic focus towards China and the Indo-Pacific. Leaders are expected to use the summit to demonstrate that Europe is prepared to take on a larger share of the alliance’s defence burden, hoping that tangible commitments will help preserve unity with an increasingly demanding White House.
