On 27 March 2026, Italy denied landing rights to US bombers at Sigonella, citing the absence of parliamentary authorisation required under the 1954 bilateral treaty. The episode, alongside Spain’s refusal to open its bases and airspace, exposes a structural tension within NATO between the logistical support European allies extend and direct participation in offensive combat missions, which they uniformly decline. This analysis examines the legal, constitutional and strategic logic on both sides, and the unanswered questions that will define the Alliance’s direction at the Ankara summit in July 2026.