Rutte stated that European allies and Canada have allocated an additional 1.2 trillion dollars to defense during 2016-2026, with defense investments increasing by approximately 20 percent in 2025. He noted that this transformation would have been unimaginable a decade ago, and while the threat environment has played a role, U.S. President Donald Trump's leadership has been decisive. Rutte emphasized that European allies have assumed greater responsibility within NATO's command structure, contributing more to deterrence activities in the eastern flank, Baltic region, and Arctic. Rutte described this process as "NATO 3.0," presenting a vision of a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO.

The structure and capacity of Turkish defense industry, particularly ASELSAN, are directly linked to NATO's requirements in this new era. During his visit to Turkey in spring, Rutte met with young engineers at ASELSAN and noted that the company is leading Turkey's defense industry revolution that will benefit all Alliance members. Turkey's approximately 3,000 defense industry companies operating across NATO form an important part of the regional and transatlantic production network. The Ankara Summit is expected to showcase defense industry opportunities and announce contracts worth billions of dollars.

Rutte emphasized that production capacity to meet growing defense demands is of critical importance. While noting that allies have increased defense budgets, Rutte stated that required military capabilities are not being produced at sufficient speed and scale. He explained that this is not merely a stockpiling issue but requires developing innovative solutions, particularly in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Emphasizing a fundamental transformation in transatlantic defense industry, Rutte stated that defense industrial cooperation extending "from Arlington to Ankara" will both enhance security and provide employment for hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the Atlantic.

Rutte indicated that the Ankara Summit will demonstrate the implementation of decisions taken at the Hague Summit last year. He stated that the summit's primary objective is to demonstrate that allies are fulfilling their commitments in defense spending, defense industry production, and deterrence. Emphasizing that NATO's message of being prepared to defend itself will be paramount, Rutte noted that the summit could be even more important than the Hague Summit, stressing that implementation of the commitments made is of critical importance.