Plans for a NATO summit in Albania next year are facing uncertainty due to resistance from the Trump administration and concerns among alliance members regarding Tirana's defence spending levels, sources have revealed.
A draft statement for the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey does not currently include a mention of Albania as the host for the subsequent gathering, contrary to a previous declaration. This omission comes as European NATO members aim to demonstrate progress on defence spending commitments to U.S. President Donald Trump and to avoid potential conflicts with him during the Ankara summit.
The possibility of Albania hosting the next summit is also being reconsidered in light of reports that NATO is contemplating ending its practice of annual summits. This potential shift could serve to preemptively avoid a contentious encounter with President Trump later in his term. One individual familiar with the discussions noted that Albania's current defence spending levels might provoke negative reactions and headlines if a summit were held there in 2027.
A European diplomat indicated that the latest draft text refers to leaders looking forward to their next meeting without specifying a location or date. An Albanian government spokesperson, when asked about the omission, stated that draft documents are subject to change and are not final decisions.
The U.S. White House has declined to comment on the matter, and a NATO official stated they had no immediate comment. This situation arises as NATO leaders had previously committed to holding the 2026 summit in Turkey, followed by a meeting in Albania. This commitment was made at a summit in The Hague, where members also pledged to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP within a decade, in response to President Trump's demands.
While many NATO countries have increased their defence budgets recently, some have struggled to meet the alliance's previous 2% of GDP defence spending target. Albania's government has stated that it is finalizing fiscal measures to align its 2026 defence expenditure with NATO pledges, projecting spending of 2.6% of GDP, with 2.2% allocated to core defence. Despite the current uncertainty, one European diplomat expressed belief that the summit could still take place in Albania.
