European leaders pledge stronger role in NATO before Trump-Rutte talks
Leaders of Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Poland agreed on a joint position ahead of the NATO summit and committed to strengthening the European pillar of the alliance while discussing support for Ukraine.
In Berlin, the leaders of the so-called E5 group – Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Poland – held a meeting to coordinate a common stance ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. They underlined the need to strengthen NATO's European pillar and expand support for Ukraine, amid Russian military setbacks and recent promises by U.S. President Donald Trump to increase aid to Kyiv.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters that it is a crucial moment to ramp up pressure on Russia's economy with more sanctions and provide Ukraine with additional military support. He stressed that this should be the first item on the agenda at the NATO summit, while the second key issue must be building a more European NATO.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who is set to meet Trump later on Wednesday, joined the discussions via video call. He is expected to convey the leaders' message directly, which may prove to be a balancing act. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he wants more cooperation both transatlantically and within Europe, adding that Germany's strengthening should make its neighbors feel safer.
In a joint statement, the leaders pledged to ensure a stronger European role within NATO, taking greater responsibility for shared transatlantic security. They committed to increased European defense cooperation, for instance by jointly developing and procuring deep precision strike capabilities.
Trump has previously criticized European allies for insufficient support for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, but his recent shift on Ukraine has raised optimism among European leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron noted that Europeans and Americans are growing closer again.
Over dinner, the E5 leaders discussed how to deal with Russia and who should speak for Europe if Moscow signals readiness for peace negotiations with Kyiv. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk insisted that countries directly threatened by Russia's aggressive policies must be represented in all forums, arguing that without Poland, the Scandinavian countries, the Baltic states and Romania, it will be difficult to achieve anything.
