Post by The Soufan Center (TSC)

IntelBrief: NATO Heads to Ankara with Its Unity in Question Bottom Line Up Front 🔹As leaders descend upon Ankara for the 2026 NATO Summit, taking place tomorrow and Wednesday, several points of friction between NATO members have raised serious questions about what this year’s gathering will achieve. 🔹As popular terminology in Washington shifts away from “burden-sharing” and increasingly towards “burden-shifting,” European NATO allies are acutely aware of expectations from the U.S. to not only increase their defense spending, but to work towards a truly independent defense architecture. 🔹As NATO allies gird themselves for U.S. military drawdowns across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East many leaders are seeking clarity from Washington over the next two days — specifics on what the pullback will look like, where it will occur, and on what timeline, so they can plan how to fill the resulting gaps and build up the capabilities. 🔹Ankara is also positioned to play an important mediating role in the widening transatlantic rift, European nations recognize they must tap into Türkiye's military capabilities as they reduce their reliance on the U.S., something they have resisted in the past. Read more👇 https://lnkd.in/eB_nmyck Colin P. Clarke, Ph.D., Clara Broekaert, Nikkie Lyubarsky, Gabriella Tejeda, Caroline D. Rose