On Thursday 9 July, Roland Gillet spoke to Laure Closier following the NATO summit in Ankara.

“European egos were set aside”

Roland Gillet sees the outcome of the summit as reflecting a renewed convergence between the United States and its European allies.

Donald Trump arrived at the NATO summit from a position of strength: the timing of the latest strikes on Iran, just ahead of the meeting in Ankara, was no mere coincidence. Any disruption to the Strait of Hormuz would primarily affect Asia and, above all, Europe. Roland Gillet argues that, behind Donald Trump’s forceful negotiating style, Washington’s central objective is to secure a more balanced military and financial commitment from its allies within NATO.

European leaders are now fully aware of the need to strengthen their defence capabilities and assume greater responsibility for their own security. The key message to emerge from the summit was the renewed affirmation of NATO’s fundamental principle of collective defence and solidarity among its members, sending a particularly clear signal to Russia.