By the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania, Sali Berisha.
The latest Summit of the North Atlantic Alliance marked a historic success for both the Alliance and its member states. Unfortunately, instead of analyzing and highlighting the Summit’s true historic significance, the media in Albania focused primarily on Edi Rama’s sneakers. In blatant violation of the ethical code and protocol governing the most important and serious international gathering on the planet, and driven by his incurable penchant for extreme exhibitionism, he chose to appear in sneakers as though he were entering a sports field. For this crude display, he received the contempt and nicknames he deserved from the leaders in attendance and from international media outlets. These, however, have nothing to do with the Summit’s genuine historic importance.
Why was this Summit historic?
First: The Ankara Summit was historic because it took place after public disagreements had emerged between several major NATO member states and the United States, the Alliance’s leading power, following the conflict involving the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. The refusal of certain member states to allow the United States to use military bases on their territory for operations against Iran seriously called into question the Alliance’s value to Washington, which, over NATO’s 77-year history, has spent trillions of dollars on the defense and security of its allies on the European continent.
Despite these disagreements, the history of the past 110 years has repeatedly demonstrated that the security of a free Europe and that of the United States are inseparable. This was the fundamental reason behind the founding of the North Atlantic Alliance 77 years ago, and it remains the principal reason for its existence today. Peace and freedom in the Euro-Atlantic area have never had—and are unlikely ever to have—a guarantor comparable to NATO. To a considerable extent, this is also true for the freedom of the wider world.
For this reason, President Donald Trump, putting an end to all speculation and uncertainty, declared in Ankara: “We are here together with you,” reaffirming the United States’ unwavering commitment to remain the Alliance’s leading nation and the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security.
Second: In Ankara, Donald Trump’s doctrine for NATO prevailed decisively. It is based on the ancient principle: “If you want peace, prepare for war.” During his first term, President Trump insisted on the strict implementation of NATO’s founding commitment requiring member states to allocate at least 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense spending. At the time, only two or three NATO member states were meeting this obligation, and Europe was not at war.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine clearly demonstrated the necessity of increasing military spending among NATO members.
Following his return to office, President Trump and senior members of his administration called for defense spending to rise to 5% of GDP. In Ankara, a large majority of member states committed themselves to increasing their defense expenditures to 5% of GDP by 2035. This represents a historic and transformative achievement for NATO.
Third: In the Ankara Summit Declaration, all member states unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to the principle of collective defense enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This means that an attack against one member state is considered an attack against all member states.
Fourth: At the Ankara Summit, NATO members agreed to provide €70 billion in military assistance to Ukraine and signed contracts worth €50 billion for the procurement of military equipment and weapons.
In conclusion, I would add that special credit for the preparation and success of the Summit belongs to NATO’s Secretary General, together with the Alliance’s political and military leadership. Undoubtedly, the host nation, Türkiye, also deserves particular recognition. It plays one of the most important roles in fulfilling the mission of the North Atlantic Alliance and, despite some symbolic elements that could perhaps have been avoided, its dignified and exemplary organization of the Summit contributed significantly to its achievements and overall success.
