Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Ambassador to NATO [EPA=Yonhap News File Photo]

The U.S. Trump administration announced on the 5th that President Trump plans to review the implementation of defense spending increase pledges by European allies at the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit to be held in Ankara, Türkiye, on the 7th–8th (local time).

Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, stated during a press call regarding the U.S.'s main agenda for the summit that "at the Ankara summit, we will assess the progress made on the Hague defense commitments."

Previously, NATO member states agreed at the summit held in The Hague, Netherlands, in June of last year to spend 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense by 2035, in line with President Trump's demands.

Ambassador Whitaker said, "Along with the 5% of GDP goal, we will evaluate how allies are expanding NATO's core capabilities to support the ongoing burden-sharing on the European continent."

Regarding the implementation status by country, he noted, "Poland, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic states are leading the way, and Germany is also on track with its plan to raise defense spending to the 5% level of its GDP by 2029. However, many other countries are lagging behind."

He emphasized, "We expect fair burden-sharing as all allies demonstrate a meaningful quantitative and qualitative upward trend in defense spending."

A senior official from the Trump administration stated during the press call that multi-billion dollar (trillions of won) sales contracts for U.S.-made weapons are expected to be signed during the summit.

Ultimately, it appears the Trump administration's goal is to closely link the increase in defense spending by allies with the expansion of U.S. arms exports.

Regarding the possibility of adjusting U.S. troop levels in Europe, the senior official stated that a comprehensive review of U.S. troop deployments and major base status in Europe is underway under the leadership of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, adding, "This is exactly why our allies need to develop more capabilities and fulfill their Hague defense commitments as soon as possible."

Previously, Secretary Hegseth announced at the NATO Defense Ministerial last month that he would conduct a six-month review of the status of U.S. military presence in Europe.

According to the White House, President Trump is scheduled to depart from the White House on the evening of the 6th and arrive in Ankara on the afternoon of the 7th (local time). He will then hold a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and attend a social dinner for NATO leaders.

On the 8th, he will attend the official welcoming ceremony for the NATO summit and hold separate bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara. President Trump is expected to hold a press conference afterward, depart Ankara, and arrive back at the White House on the evening of the 8th.

Regarding the meeting with President Zelenskyy, the senior official remarked, "We believe it is time for this war (the Ukraine war) to end," adding that the two leaders will discuss ways to bring the war to a close. He further noted, "President Trump believes there is an urgent need to work toward stopping this war."