NATO says date for next alliance meet not fixed yet after a rollercoaster summit with Trump

As NATO wrapped up a rollercoaster summit with US President Donald Trump in Ankara, alliance chief Mark Rutte said Wednesday no date had been set for the next gathering.

"The next summit is in Albania, and of course, we still have to decide on the exact timing," Rutte told a press conference.

NATO leaders have in recent years held annual summits as Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has upended security in Europe.


But some voices inside the 32-nation alliance have pressed for the alliance to stop holding summits each year.

Part of the thinking, diplomats said, is to avoid the white knuckle ride of having to keep Trump happy with the 77-year-old alliance.

In their summit declaration, leaders said simply "we look forward to our next meeting", without specifying when it would be.

Diplomats said that Albania's relatively low defence spending had also been a consideration in not immediately setting a date for next year. The western Balkan nation was named as the host of the next NATO summit in 2025.