NATO weighs expanded nuclear sharing

Hakan Fidan said on June 2 that President Donald Trump is expected to attend NATO’s next summit in Ankara, putting U.S. force posture back at the center of an alliance debate that had already focused on defense spending and troop commitments. Bloomberg reported that Fidan, Turkey’s foreign minister, told Bloomberg TV that Trump had indicated in recent calls with President Tayyip Erdogan that he planned to attend. The summit is scheduled for July 7-8 at the Beştepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, according to NATO. The immediate question around the meeting is no longer only how much Europe spends, but what kind of U.S. guarantee allies can still point to. Reports cited in the source briefings say U.S. officials are discussing whether to expand the number of European NATO countries that could host nuclear-capable assets, including dual-capable aircraft. NATO has not publicly announced any such change, and the reporting available so far describes discussions rather than a final decision. (bloomberg.com) ### Why does Trump’s attendance matter to this debate? Fidan told Bloomberg on June 2 that “as far as we know, yes, he plans to attend,” referring to Trump’s expected presence in Ankara. He also said Trump and Erdogan had spoken several times over the past month and that Trump had indicated on those calls that he would come. That matters because the Ankara summit will be the first NATO leaders’ meeting in 2026 and comes as allies prepare for renewed U.S. pressure on defense spending. (bloomberg.com) NATO said in an April 22 media advisory that the Ankara summit will be chaired by Secretary General Mark Rutte. On May 22, after a meeting of foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Rutte said ministers had been preparing for a “stronger and fairer NATO,” with increased defense spending among the core topics. ### What is being discussed under “expanded nuclear sharing”? (bloomberg.com) The term at issue is not a public NATO communique but reporting about a possible expansion in the number of allies involved in hosting or operating nuclear-capable systems. In NATO practice, dual-capable aircraft are aircraft that can perform conventional missions and, if assigned and certified, can also support the alliance’s nuclear mission. The source briefings say U.S. officials are discussing whether more European countries could host such assets as part of reassurance planning. (nato.int) NATO’s own public material does not confirm a new basing plan. What NATO has confirmed is the date and venue of the summit and the broader agenda of burden-sharing, defense production and deterrence. That leaves the nuclear-sharing discussion, at least for now, in the category of policy deliberation rather than adopted alliance policy. (nato.int) ### Why would allies raise this now? The timing tracks with wider concern in Europe about the durability of the U.S. military role on the continent. Bloomberg reported on May 27 that Erdogan was seeking a meeting with Trump before the summit amid signs Washington was planning to scale down its role in supporting the alliance in Europe. NATO’s own summit preparations have also centered on how allies chart a “credible path” to higher spending targets. (nato.int) In that setting, a broader nuclear-sharing discussion would give eastern allies another visible sign of U.S. commitment even if conventional troop levels come under pressure. That is an inference from the reported discussions and the summit agenda, not a publicly declared U.S. policy. ### What has NATO said publicly about the Ankara summit itself? (bloomberg.com) NATO said the summit will take place on July 7-8, 2026, in Ankara, Türkiye, at the Beştepe Presidential Compound. The alliance’s summit page says leaders use these meetings to discuss major issues facing NATO and provide strategic direction. NATO also said media accreditation opened in April, a routine step that confirms planning is already well advanced. (bloomberg.com) Mark Rutte said after the May 22 foreign ministers’ meeting that a stronger and fairer NATO, increased defense spending, stronger defense industrial production and continued support to Ukraine were among the main topics. Any decision on alliance posture, including nuclear signaling, would therefore be expected to surface through preparations in the weeks before July 7 or in summit documents and statements issued in Ankara. (nato.int 1) (nato.int 2)