MOSCOW, NATO leaders are reportedly weighing whether to forgo holding an annual leaders’ summit in 2027, a move that could leave Albania without hosting the gathering as the alliance seeks to avoid another politically fraught meeting with US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported.
The proposal has emerged during NATO’s two-day summit in Ankara, where leaders are discussing the alliance’s future priorities, defense spending commitments and transatlantic unity. While no final decision has been made, officials are said to be debating whether skipping the 2027 summit would reduce the likelihood of another high-profile confrontation between Trump and NATO allies.
Under existing plans, Albania is expected to host the alliance’s next summit. However, Bloomberg reported that NATO officials are considering delaying or skipping the annual gathering altogether, with discussions centering on both political and practical considerations.
One of the factors reportedly influencing the debate is concern that another summit could become dominated by Trump’s criticism of NATO members over defense spending and burden-sharing. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly questioned the alliance’s financial arrangements and has continued pressing European allies to increase military expenditure.
The report also said the proposal would avoid drawing attention to Albania’s relatively low defense spending compared with many other NATO members. Albania has been among the alliance’s lower defense spenders, even as NATO continues urging members to devote a larger share of their gross domestic product to military budgets.
Further fueling speculation, the draft communiqué from the Ankara summit reportedly does not identify either the location or timing of the alliance’s next leaders’ meeting, an omission that has attracted attention because previous summit declarations have often outlined future host arrangements.
Speaking to Bloomberg Television, NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone acknowledged that discussions remain ongoing over the summit schedule.
“The summit will be held in Albania, if it will be held next year or the year after is something that is under discussion,” Dragone said, indicating that no final agreement has yet been reached.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has publicly argued that regular summits remain important for maintaining alliance cohesion and demonstrating progress on defense commitments. Ahead of and during the Ankara gathering, he emphasized that European allies and Canada have significantly increased military spending in recent years while continuing efforts to strengthen NATO’s collective deterrence.
Last month, Rutte noted that several allies had substantially boosted defense investments and highlighted what he described as more than $1 trillion in additional core defense spending by European members and Canada since 2016. He has presented those increases as evidence that NATO members are responding to long-standing US demands for greater burden-sharing.
Earlier this year, Rutte also identified the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Albania among the countries that had yet to fully meet NATO’s benchmark of spending at least 2% of GDP on defense, underscoring the continued importance of military investment within the alliance.
The Ankara summit itself has been marked by renewed disagreements between Washington and several European allies. Trump has criticized some NATO members over defense spending while also clashing with allies on broader geopolitical issues, including Greenland, trade and support during recent tensions involving Iran.
Discussions are expected to continue as member states seek consensus on both future meetings and the alliance’s long-term strategic direction, while NATO officials insist that no formal decision has yet been taken regarding the alliance’s 2027 summit calendar.
