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NATO Allies Announce Billions in New Spending to Placate Trump

July 7, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

NATO allies announced billions of dollars in new military contracts ahead of President Trump’s arrival at the summit in Ankara, in a bid to show that the bloc is following through on last year’s pledge to spend 5% of economic output on defense. Journal editor Daniel Michaels reported from the summit that the deals are meant to convince Trump that allies are actually spending money and getting it out the door. The contracts include production of critical systems like interceptors, which are urgently needed given the devastating Russian strikes in Ukraine. But turning the contracts into actual equipment will take months or years. Trump is due to attend a dinner with other NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later in the day.

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What you'll learn

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  • 6 (08:25) **NATO Announces Billions in New Military Projects** - The alliance showcases new spending ahead of President Trump's arrival at the summit in Ankara.
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Guests on this episode

Show Notes

A.M. Edition for July 7. As President Trump heads to Turkey for a NATO summit, Brussels Bureau Chief Daniel Michaels says the alliance is rushing to find replacements for the bombers, warships and soldiers that Washington says member nations can no longer rely on in a crisis. Plus, Democratic Party leaders urge Graham Platner to quit the Maine Senate race, a key path to winning a Senate majority in November. And as SpaceX joins the Nasdaq-100, WSJ markets reporter Hannah Erin Lang says investors in index trackers are exposed to Elon Musk’s rocket company whether they like it or not. Daniel Bach hosts.


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