NATO summit in Albania in 2027 questioned due to US position and Tirana's defense spending
Kyiv • UNN
Holding the NATO summit in Albania in 2027 is at risk due to objections from the Trump administration and Tirana's low defense spending. The draft statement of the summit in Ankara makes no mention of Albania.
The holding of the next NATO summit in Albania in 2027 has been called into question due to objections from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and dissatisfaction with Tirana's low defense spending. This was reported by Reuters, citing a NATO diplomat, a European official, and three interlocutors familiar with the situation, writes UNN.
Details
According to the agency, the draft final statement of the NATO summit, which is to take place next week in Ankara, currently contains no mention of the next Alliance meeting being held in Albania, although this country had previously been considered as the host of the forum.
Reuters notes that European allies seek to avoid conflicts with Donald Trump during the summit in Turkey and to demonstrate progress in fulfilling commitments to increase defense spending.
The reason cited is Albania's low defense spending
One of the agency's sources reported that Albania's level of defense spending could cause Trump's dissatisfaction if the summit does take place in this country in 2027.
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According to a European diplomat, the latest version of the draft statement contains only wording that the leaders "look forward to the next meeting," but without specifying the location or date of its holding.
Reuters recalls that the agency previously reported that NATO was considering the possibility of abandoning the practice of holding annual summits, which could reduce the risk of new contradictions with the U.S. president.
Drafts are drafts, not decisions
The White House declined to comment. NATO also said it currently has no comment on this matter.