NATO Albania Summit Faces Uncertainty as Trump, Defense Spending Concerns Loom

Plans for NATO to hold its 2027 leaders' summit in Albania have been thrown into question as alliance members prepare for next week’s gathering in Turkey, according to Reuters, citing a NATO diplomat, a European official, and three people familiar with the discussions.

A draft communiqué for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara reportedly omits any reference to Albania hosting the alliance’s next summit, despite a previous declaration stating that the 2027 meeting would take place there. While the draft remains under negotiation and could change, the omission has fueled speculation over Albania’s role.

The uncertainty comes as European NATO members seek to demonstrate to U.S. President Donald Trump that they are making progress on increasing defense spending while avoiding disagreements during the Ankara summit. One person familiar with the talks said Albania’s relatively low military spending could become a point of criticism for Trump if the country hosts the 2027 gathering, potentially generating unwanted headlines.

A European diplomat said the latest draft simply states that leaders look forward to their next meeting without identifying a location or date.

An Albanian government spokesperson stressed that draft documents do not represent final decisions, while the White House declined to comment. NATO also did not immediately respond.

In recent years, NATO summit declarations have traditionally confirmed the location of the following summit. At last year’s Hague summit, leaders agreed that Turkey would host the 2026 meeting, followed by Albania.

Defense spending has become a central issue within the alliance after NATO members pledged to raise defense and defense-related spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade, including 3.5% for core military capabilities and 1.5% for broader security measures such as cybersecurity.

Although many allies have increased military budgets, some are still working to meet even the previous 2% GDP benchmark.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently noted that Albania, Czechia, and Slovenia had yet to reach the 2% target last year but had committed to exceeding it in 2026.

Albania's government said it is finalizing fiscal measures that would increase defense and defense-related spending to 2.6% of GDP in 2026, including 2.2% allocated to core defense and 0.4% for broader security expenditures, in line with NATO’s spending methodology.

Despite the uncertainty, a European diplomat said Albania could still ultimately secure hosting rights for the 2027 NATO summit if its defense spending commitments continue to advance.