This article originally appeared in CDA Institute. Below is an excerpt from the article.
By Balkan Devlen, July 10, 2026
As NATO leaders gathered in Ankara this week for the Alliance’s 36th summit, the official agenda spoke of defence investment, industrial production, and support for Ukraine. The real agenda was different. Three alliance-wide issues shaped this Summit.
First, avoiding open confrontation. The Summit was designed to be short, heavy on announcements, and light on opportunities for public rupture. It is worth being candid about what these gatherings have become. Ever since Donald Trump returned to the White House, the primary purpose of any NATO Summit has been, first and foremost, to avoid a rupture with him. Everything else is secondary: the choreography, the list of deliverables, the carefully calibrated flattery–Secretary General Mark Rutte’s recent catch phrase “The Trump Trillion” being the latest example.
This is not a criticism of Rutte, who faces a delicate balancing act. It is a recognition that alliance management now consumes diplomatic energy that should be spent on deterring Russia. Success in Ankara will be measured less by what is decided than by what is avoided.
***TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE, VISIT CDAI HERE***
Balkan Devlen is a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and the Montreal Institute for Global Security, and the co-founder of Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory.
