Merz says Ankara summit marks dawn of 'new, more European' NATO

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday hailed the NATO summit in Ankara as the beginning of a new era for the alliance, declaring that European nations are stepping up to meet defense spending targets agreed at The Hague and assume greater responsibility for the continent's security.

'Unacceptable' spending gap

The chancellor acknowledged that Trump had legitimate grounds to criticize European allies for years of underinvestment that left Washington carrying much of the financial burden. "If you simply look at the figures, what the Americans spend on NATO versus what we spend, the ratio is 80 to 20 (80 for America, 20 for Europe and the rest of NATO); that is unacceptable," he told reporters in Ankara. Merz added that the American president bluntly told allies they needed to "step up and do a bit more," prompting European nations to move swiftly toward fairer burden-sharing with Washington.

Constructive engagement

Despite prior tensions between Washington and European capitals over military expenditure, Merz stressed that Trump demonstrated constructive engagement throughout the two-day gathering. "President Trump participated in all of today's discussions without exception, remaining in the meeting room the entire time," he said, noting the American leader's attentive listening to representatives of smaller member states. "He was very aware of what was happening in those smaller member states and showed great empathy," Merz added.

Alliance unity reaffirmed

The German leader stated that he was returning to Berlin with confidence that the alliance remains firmly anchored in the transatlantic partnership despite becoming more European. "I'm returning to Germany with the secure feeling that we have made a significant contribution to ensuring that NATO remains united, that it becomes stronger, that it becomes more European," he said. "Together we are doing what we set out to do: serve peace and freedom in the world."