Macedonia at NATO's Ankara Summit: 'Credible Partner' — But the EU Maze Must End

North Macedonia was represented at the highest level at the 36th NATO Summit, held on 7–8 July 2026 at the presidential complex „Beştepe" in Ankara, Turkey. President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova led the Macedonian delegation and addressed the North Atlantic Council at the level of heads of state and government — a gathering of 32 NATO member countries, alongside generals, ministers and senior diplomats from across the alliance.

A Proven, Credible Partner

Speaking before NATO leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Siljanovska-Davkova delivered a confident message about Macedonia's role within the alliance.

According to the president, the summit confirmed that Macedonia is a proven, credible partner — responsible both in terms of financial contributions and conduct within the alliance. Macedonia currently allocates approximately four percent of GDP to defence and related expenditures, well above the NATO target and on track toward the alliance's new goal of five percent by 2035.

The Sharpest Message: End the EU Labyrinth

The most pointed remarks from Siljanovska-Davkova were directed not at NATO, but at the European Union. Drawing a direct contrast between how Macedonia is treated within NATO and how it has been treated on the road to EU membership, she delivered one of the most direct statements heard from a Macedonian head of state in years.

The president also highlighted that the NATO summit issued a strong signal in favour of the Western Balkans: the Secretary General indicated he intends to undertake a tour of Western Balkan countries, stressing that European stability and peace on the Balkans is inseparable from the region's EU integration. After 13 years of blocked enlargement, Siljanovska-Davkova called this both „responsible and committed."

The Broader Summit: Unity, Ukraine, Iran

The 36th NATO Summit in Ankara was dominated by the familiar themes of 2026: the war in Ukraine, the Iran situation, the influence of China, and the question of European defence spending in the post-Trump era. NATO leaders reaffirmed their „iron commitment" to collective defence and Article 5 — that an attack on one is an attack on all — in the summit declaration.

A significant subtext was the question of European defence autonomy. With the United States having made clear that European NATO members must take greater ownership of their own defence, nearly all allies have now moved in that direction. Siljanovska-Davkova described this shift as „very important."

On the Margins: Bulgaria, Hungary and a Message of Friendship

On the sidelines of the summit, Siljanovska-Davkova held bilateral meetings with several allied heads of state and government. Notably, she described a brief encounter with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev at President Erdoğan's reception as „inspiring and encouraging" — Radev told her they are not just neighbours, but friends. She also met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Magyar, describing that encounter in similarly positive terms.

The summit in Ankara reaffirmed what Macedonia's leadership has long argued: that the country punches above its weight within NATO, takes its obligations seriously, and deserves the same treatment on its European path. Whether that message will finally resonate in Brussels remains to be seen.

MKNews Hub · Политика · 8 July 2026