Twelve NATO countries, including Britain, announced the launch of a new long-range missile system called Deep Precision Strike, with a total budget of about £37 billion (approximately $50 billion) over 10 years. The initiative is set to be discussed at the NATO summit in Ankara, taking place July 7–8.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the program “will help unite European allies and ensure NATO’s security for years to come.” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described work on the project as “part of the realization that the world has become much more dangerous.”
The new missile system is designed for precision strikes on targets at a distance of nearly 300 km, with potential future range extension to 2,000 km. However, as the BBC notes, deployment of Deep Strike is unlikely to begin before the 2030s.
On the first day of the summit, NATO countries also committed to providing Ukraine with €70 billion in military aid and training, and then ensuring “at least a similar level of support” in 2027. The total two-year package amounts to about €140 billion.
The summit’s final declaration calls Russia a “long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and stability.” “Currently, European NATO allies and Canada finance the bulk of security assistance to Ukraine,” the statement says. It also emphasizes that support should be “distributed fairly, and be predictable and sustainable.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrived at the summit, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump welcomed the intensification of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, calling it “escalation that could bring the war to an end.” He also said he intends to issue Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missiles: “Zelensky will no longer be able to complain that we are not supplying enough. Make them yourselves.”
Speaking at a defense industry forum on the sidelines of the summit, Zelensky urged allies to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems. He also reported successes of Ukrainian interceptor drones, which he said shoot down more than 90% of Shahed drones. “Do you really think that countries with such defense capabilities should be outside the alliance?” he asked, hinting at Ukraine’s NATO membership.
The summit also discussed prospects for ending the war. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told a BBC correspondent that “summer should be a time of increasing pressure on Russia.” He recalled his bill allowing 500% tariffs on goods from countries that buy Russian oil and gas. Before the summit, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking in Ankara, said the United States is “fully committed” to the alliance despite Trump’s criticism. He also urged European allies to increase defense spending: “We do not have the luxury of time. To remain ready, we need military power right now. The hum of machines must turn into a roar.”