The 32nd NATO Summit has just started in Madrid, Spain. The leaders, who will exchange strategic views on the threats and challenges to Euro-Atlantic security today, came together for a family photo after the official welcoming ceremony.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were seen getting cozy with each other.
Faced with one of the biggest crises since the end of the Cold War, NATO leaders gathered in the Spanish capital Madrid for a historic summit.
At the summit, the leaders of 30 member states will exchange views at the strategic level today on the threats and challenges to Euro-Atlantic security.
Here is what happened minute by minute at the critical summit…
STOLTENBERG: ZELENSKY WILL JOIN US
12:05 Speaking at the NATO summit, Secretary General Stoltenberg said: ‘We will adopt a more comprehensive support package for Ukraine.
Emphasizing that ‘more will be done’ for Ukraine to defend itself, Stoltenberg said: ‘Mr. Zelenski will join us. We will continue to be with Ukraine,’ he said.
THEY CAME TOGETHER IN A FAMILY PHOTO
11:50 The leaders of the countries, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, gathered for a family photo after the official welcoming ceremony.
REMARKABLE SHOTS
After the family photo was taken, the leaders briefly chatted among themselves.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Sincere images between the leaders did not go unnoticed
ERDOGAN MEETS WITH MACRON
11:20 President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is holding bilateral meetings at the IFEMA Exhibition Center in Madrid, where he arrived to attend the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. President Erdoğan met with French President Emmanuel Macron on the margins of the summit.
Support for Ukraine
Secretary General Stoltenberg described increasing support to Ukraine as an “urgent need” and said a “comprehensive aid package” would be adopted at the summit.
This is expected to include a transition from Soviet-era military equipment to NATO equipment that will strengthen Ukraine’s “defense and security” capacity.
However, some members have argued that this support should be limited to avoid the perception of NATO as an intervening party in the war.
Defense spending
Another topic to be discussed in Madrid is the defense spending of member states. NATO members are expected to reiterate their 2014 pledge to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
According to a statement released by NATO before the summit, 9 alliance members have already met or exceeded the 2 percent target, while 19 have plans to meet this target by 2024.
Stoltenberg said this 2 percent defense spending is “a floor, not a ceiling.”
Defense to be strengthened on the eastern border
NATO calls the plan to increase the Response Force from 40,000 to 300,000 troops a “defense-strengthening” step.
Secretary General Stoltenberg announced the plan at a press conference on Monday, saying, “At the summit we will strengthen our forward defense. We will increase our battle groups in the eastern part of the Alliance to brigade levels. We will transform the NATO Response Force and increase the number of our high readiness forces to over 300,000.”
