On the second day of the summit, NATO member country leaders took a family photo. AFP

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Russiaremains"the most significant and direct threat facing the alliance".

DECLARATION PUBLISHED

In the declaration published at the end of the summit, the allies agreed to increase the share they allocate to defense spending to 5 percent of their gross domestic product by 2035, and it was decided that the summit would be held in Türkiye in 2026.

RUTTE: SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE WILL CONTINUE

In his closing speech, Rutte said that support for Ukraine would continue and that they would support Ukraine on its path to becoming a NATO member.

'US ATTACK ON IRAN IS LAWFUL'

On the other hand, when a reporter asked why he praised Trump, Rutte said,"We set a goal to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Trump achieved that, he deserves praise. We have no problem with what the US did, it is legal."

'CHINA'S ARMY IS GROWING'

"China has recently grown its military and the US has been keeping an eye on these threats for a long time. We need them to solidify our alliance," Rutte said.

'WE PROVIDE STRENGTH AND SUPPORT TO KIEV'

NATO Secretary General:"We will exceed 50 billion by the end of the year. We must ensure that Ukraine can continue to fight and sign a permanent ceasefire. We are taking steps in this direction and providing equipment, forces and support to Kiev to stay in the war. We are building bases for defense industries. We are trying to keep them strong," he said.

'USA DID WHAT NO ONE CAN'T'

"We know in which cases Article 5 will be triggered. The US has done what no one else has been able to do for years, they have the largest military force in the world. They struck the facilities with the pilots in the jets. History forces you to be a leader and sometimes you do what is necessary. They prevented Iran from going nuclear as much as possible. It is too early to see the full impact of this, but I thank you," Rutte said.

ERDOĞAN AND TRUMP HAD A CHAT ON THE FOOT

President Erdoğan and US President Trump were seen having a brief chat on the second day of the summit. The two had a one-on-one meeting yesterday.

Welcomed by the hosts Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shook hands with Schoof and Rutte and had his photo taken.

President Erdoğan also met with British Prime Minister Starmer  

The summit focuses on defense spending in the shadow of the 12-day Israel-Iran war.

DINNER INVITATION FROM THE KING OF DUTCH

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the dinner hosted by the King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and his wife in honor of the leaders and their spouses attending the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit.

After welcoming the guests to the dinner, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima took photos with the heads of state and government and their spouses attending the summit, the dinner began.

AGENDA ARTICLE 5 AND THE USA

There has been much talk today about Article Five of the NATO Treaty, after Donald Trump refused yesterday to state publicly whether the United States would continue to abide by that article.

Instead, Trump said it"depends on your definition" and added that he "depends on being friends" of NATO allies.

So what exactly is the Fifth Amendment?

This article forms the basis of the principle of collective defense. The purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in 1949 and which laid the foundations of NATO, was to establish a pact based on mutual assistance. At the time (and still today), the aim was to counter the risk of the Soviet Union extending its control of Eastern Europe to the entire continent.

Article Five states that the members of the alliance agree that"an armed attack against one or more of its members in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against all of them."

Therefore, members agree that"in the event of such an armed attack, they will immediately assist the attacked Party or Parties by exercising their individual or collective right of self-defense recognized in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter."

In short, an attack on one NATO ally is an attack on all of them, which could prompt a broader response from the entire alliance. In this context, Trump’s vague statements on Article 5 could have serious consequences if the US decides not to abide by the article.

Macron, Merz and Starmer came together at the summit.

ENGLAND TO BUY NUCLEAR-WARRANTED F-35S

The UK is to buy at least 12 F-35 stealth jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads in the most significant upgrade to its nuclear capability for a generation, the government announced today.

Today, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce at the NATO summit in The Hague that this new fleet will participate in an alliance mission that could be equipped with US nuclear weapons.

This dramatic move is likely to provoke strong reactions and concerns from Russia and China.

Starmer met with world leaders at the NATO summit in The Hague this evening.

At the start of this two-day summit, the allies will commit to increasing defense and security spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.

British Prime Minister Starmer shared some details about his meetings with the Dutch Prime Minister, the German Chancellor and the French President.

Starmer spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof about the need for"diplomacy" in the Middle East and their desire to continue supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

GAZA IS ALSO ON THE AGENDA

He also discussed these two conflicts with Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron. The possibility of further sanctions against Moscow was also discussed.

The talks also discussed the issue of Gaza, with Starmer describing the current situation as"unbearable" and saying all sides must work to reach a ceasefire.