ANKARA, Türkiye — It's on.
The 2026 NATO Summit has officially commenced today in the Turkish capital, and the eyes of the world are locked on Ankara.
I News Australia Editor-in-Chief Nelly Yoa is reporting LIVE from the heart of the action — behind the scenes at the Bestepe Presidential Compound, where the diplomatic machinery of 32 nations is already cranking into gear.
President Donald J. Trump is expected to touch down in Ankara in the next few hours, touching Turkish soil in the early afternoon local time — and heading straight into the fray.
32 LEADERS, TWO DAYS, ONE CITY
Tuesday and Wednesday will be the two busy days in Ankara — and every single one of NATO's 32 heads of state is here in the Turkish capital.
The flags are flying. The barricades are up. The motorcades are rolling. And the stakes? Through the roof.
Leaders from all 32 NATO member states are at the summit in Türkiye this week — but they're not alone.
WHO'S IN THE ROOM
Two non-alliance heads of state will also be there: Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Korea's Lee Jae-myung.
Australia, Japan and New Zealand are sending defence or foreign ministers, as are Gulf countries affected by the US-Israel war on Iran: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is not expected to attend the summit but is holding a bilateral meeting with Trump in Ankara — a stunning diplomatic signal.
THE $570 BILLION QUESTION: WHO PAYS?
At the 2025 NATO summit, members committed themselves to invest 5 percent of their GDPs annually in defence by 2035.
Every member is now spending above the 2 percent threshold — a hard-fought victory, and one Trump has been demanding for years.
The chart below shows estimated defence expenditures as a share of GDP for 2025:
WHAT UKRAINE NEEDS FROM THIS SUMMIT
Zelenskyy is arriving with one mission: keep the weapons, the money, and the Western backbone flowing.
The Ukrainian president needs ironclad security guarantees, sustained air-defense support, and a pathway to a just peace — on Kyiv's terms, not Moscow's.
Intelligence shows Russia is preparing a 'new massive strike,' Zelenskyy warned, timed right before the Ankara summit.
'This is typical of Putin,' Zelenskyy wrote. 'Russia wants to bring more evil and kill people.'
WHAT EUROPE IS TRYING TO SOLVE
European nations are scrambling to solve for three things at once: how to spend more on defence without breaking their economies, how to keep the U.S. committed to the continent, and how to hold the alliance together through the turbulence of the past year.
European allies and Canada spent $90 billion more on defence in 2025 than the year before — reaching a total north of $570 billion.
But Trump's threats over Greenland, the Iran war, troop cuts in Europe, and a six-month review of the U.S. military presence have all rattled nerves.
'The alliance is alive and kicking but a bit bruised,' one European diplomat told reporters.
TRUMP: THE HERO AND THE PROBLEM-SOLVER
And then there's Trump.
Love him or hate him, the 47th president arrives in Ankara as both the hero and the problem-solver of this summit — the one leader who can break the deadlock on Ukraine, shift the dial on Syria, and force Europe to finally pay its share.
This is a president who demanded 2 percent and got it. Who demanded more and is getting more. Who warned about the alliance — and is now being asked to save it.
His bilateral with Erdoğan could shape the summit. His sit-down with Zelenskyy could shape the war. And his meeting with Syria's al-Sharaa could reshape the Middle East.
BOTTOM LINE
32 leaders. Two days. One city. And a president about to take center stage.
Ankara is ready. The world is watching. And the 2026 NATO Summit is officially underway.
I News Australia Editor-in-Chief Nelly Yoa reporting LIVE from the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Türkiye, traveling in an official capacity as a member of the official media delegation in support of President Donald J. Trump's visit to Ankara.
I News Australia Editor-in-Chief Nelly Yoa reporting LIVE from the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Türkiye, traveling in an official capacity as a member of the United States media delegation in support of President Donald J. Trump's visit to Ankara.
