U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his NATO counterparts meet in Turkey on Thursday to prepare a pivotal summit of alliance leaders next month that will set the course for future European security as America focuses on challenges elsewhere.

NATO foreign ministers on Thursday debated an American demand to massively ramp up defense investment to 5% of gross domestic product over the next seven years, as the US focuses on security challenges outside of Europe.

NATO defense ministers are meeting in Turkey to discuss boosting military spending to 3.5%, while the EU is stepping up tariff negotiations.

Foreign Ministers in NATO meet in Turkey on Thursday to prepare a pivotal summit of alliance leaders next month that will set the course for future European security as the U.S. focuses on challenges elsewhere.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NATO allies that much more defense spending is needed to reinforce the 32-nation security pact.

The US approved the sale of $304 million-worth of missiles to Turkey as the NATO allies work to strengthen trade and defense ties.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the organization’s procurement agency is cooperating with police investigating corruption and fraud allegations involving the purchase of military equipment.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday he will discuss the U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Syria and the roadmap ahead in a meeting with his U.S. and Syrian counterparts later in the day.

MUSTAFA KUTLAY is a Senior Lecturer at City St George’s, University of London, a Senior Scholar at Istanbul Policy Center, and a co-author, with Mina Toksoz and William Hale, of Industrial Policy in Turkey: Rise, Retreat and Return.

The peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, have an opportunity to improve the situation in Ukraine and "resolve the conflict," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

Germany on Thursday backed U.S. President Donald Trump's demand to more than double NATO's defence spending target to 5% of GDP, as Washington urged countries to eliminate any "weak links" in the alliance caused by a lack of military investment.