politics
European Leaders Meet in Berlin Ahead of NATO Summit
Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland held an E5 meeting on June 24 at the Chancellery in Berlin. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Euro-Atlantic security ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit in Ankara and paid tribute to outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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Leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland met on June 24 at the Chancellery in Berlin to reaffirm their commitment to a stronger defense partnership ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara. The European Group of Five gathering included Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, France's President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the summit would demonstrate Europe's determination to take a stronger leadership role in defense.
"We want to renew the Alliance. We are strengthening its European pillar," Merz said. A joint statement affirmed the leaders' unwavering commitment to Euro-Atlantic security and the transatlantic bond.
Merz added that unilateral national actions in defense policy would be a mistake and said he would speak to U.S. President Donald Trump, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and other partners to inform them of the discussions. The leaders offered tributes to outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who announced this week that he would step down.
Tusk also stated, "Thanks to your work, it was possible to forget about Brexit for a moment. " Merz hosted the dinner meeting after several incidents that highlighted tensions over defense issues among the main European partners, including the abandonment of the FCAS joint fighter project between Germany and France over strategic and management disagreements.
