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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Wednesday that the 36th NATO summit in Ankara had produced tangible progress on strengthening Kyiv's air defense capabilities, as allied nations pledged €70 billion in military support for 2026 and vowed to maintain equivalent levels the following year.
Speaking to Ukrainian journalists on the summit's sidelines, Sybiha said he came away with the impression that allies understood Ukraine's air defense needs not merely in words but in action, describing "concrete decisions" on both air defense and anti-ballistic capabilities.
He said the commitments were a direct result of bilateral meetings held by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the summit, with further announcements expected.
Sybiha described Tuesday's NATO-Ukraine Council working dinner as among the most unified the body had held, saying allies reached a shared assessment of battlefield conditions.
He argued that the trajectory of the war was making it "increasingly obvious" that continued fighting was pushing Russian President Vladimir Putin toward collapse, and that the proposals Ukraine and its allies have put forward represent "a chance for Putin to end this war and actually avoid collapse."
The summit, held over two days in the Turkish capital, centered on implementing defense spending commitments agreed at the 2025 gathering, sustaining military assistance to Ukraine and expanding allied defense industrial output.
A declaration adopted by the summit Wednesday affirmed allied "unwavering support" for Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The document formalized a pledge of €70 billion, roughly $80 billion, in military equipment, assistance and training for 2026, with member states committing to sustain at least equivalent support in 2027.
Zelenskyy arrived in Ankara on Tuesday to attend the summit. Ukraine has long pressed NATO allies to accelerate air defense deliveries, with Kyiv citing persistent Russian strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure as evidence that strengthening its defensive umbrella remains the most urgent military priority.
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