Rutte shifted focus to presentation materials detailing increased defense allocations, highlighting recent policy shifts as a unified stance against external adversaries.
"I want to show you what this president was able to achieve," said Rutte.
The alliance leadership concluded by emphasizing their collective strength and warning outside nations against provoking the member states.
"Don't fool with us.
My message is that this alliance of 1 billion people living in Europe, living in Canada, living in the United States, that this alliance will defend every inch of our territory," said Rutte.
"You cannot win [against] NATO. We are defensive.
We will never attack anyone. We will only defend our way of life, our democracies, our territory.
So don't fool with us, don't play with us," said Rutte.
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Additional sessions at the Ankara summit will focus on long-term regional deterrence and security strategies along Europe's eastern borders.
