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Europe News

Macron and Scholz call for a united Europe amid Trump's tariff threats

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke in Paris of the challenge posed by US President Donald Trump.

Europe News

Kallas: EU must spend more than 1% of GDP to 'prepare for the worst'

In 2024, member states collectively spent an average of 1.9% of GDP on defence, while Russia was spending 9%, Kaja Kallas told the audience of the European Defence Agency annual conference on Monday.

EU Decoded

EU DECODED Will a European rush to rearm be properly funded?

The European Union wants to bolster defence in face of Russia's aggression on Ukraine and growing US demands for greater European financial support for NATO.

Europe News

NATO to bolster Baltic military presence after power cables cut

NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged to send drones, frigates and aircraft to the region as he highlighted a concerted campaign of 'cyber-attacks, assassination attempts and sabotage.'

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Europe News

European defence ministers say Trump’s 5% spending goal is unrealistic

US President-elect Donald Trump has called for NATO's 32 member states to spend 5% of their GDP on defence, up from the existing target of 2%.

Europe News

Neutral Switzerland to join EU military mobility project

Switzerland will become a member of the EU's initiative to facilitate the mobilization of military forces and equipment, already including third countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway and Canada.

Germany

Scholz rejects Trump's 5% demand for defense spending

Other German politicians have equally rebuked US President-elect Donald Trump over his demand that NATO's European members should more than double their defence spending.

Poland

Defence ministers from largest EU countries hold talks on Ukraine aid

The meeting of the defence ministers from the EU's largest countries together with the deputy defence minister of Great Britain comes as Poland begins its rotating presidency of the EU and as Europe braces for the unpredictability of a new Donald Trump presidency.

Europe News

NATO's defence needs more than 3% GDP target, says Rutte

The 32 NATO allies will likely decide to increase the defence spending benchmark from the current 2% of GDP during a summit in The Hague in June.

World News

How can European rearmament be financed?

The member states are divided on joint arms purchases, joint borrowing and the need to buy European.

Europe News

German politicians rebuke Trump over NATO defence spending demand

US President-elect Donald Trump said NATO member states should increase their defence spending to 5% of GDP and criticised Europe's contributions.

Europe News

Lithuanian President touts 5% of GDP on defence in 'coming years'

EU leaders want to ramp up defence production and capacity but have so far been unable to agree on how to finance it.

Europe News

German defence minister says he wants to grow armed forces further

As threats to Western Europe grow more pressing, the German military has been having difficulty attracting enough recruits.

Europe News

EU Parliament political groups strike deal on four new committees

The mandates of the committees - which will scrutinise and report on legislative proposals - will now have to be voted on and given the final green light by the Parliament's plenary next Wednesday in Strasbourg.

Europe News

NATO chief urges citizens to 'make sacrifices' to up defence spending

The 32 NATO allies are currently in discussion to increase the defence spending benchmark from the current 2% of GDP.

Europe News

EU seeks to reduce defence dependency on US over longer term

The EU will vow a 'strong transatlantic partnership' on defence, a senior Commission official said on Monday, but dependence on foreign suppliers will inevitably have to be addressed in the long term.

Europe News

Polish EU presidency to focus on energy, defence and economic security

With Trump's arrival in the US White House, a new EU Commission and the ongoing war in Ukraine, security in all its possible dimensions will be the main priority of the next rotating EU presidency, said Poland's Ambassador Agnieszka Bartol.

Climate

Why the world’s militaries have climate change in their crosshairs

Despite defence spending increasing in several national budgets, climate adaptation within the military is lagging behind.

Europe in Motion

Defence spending boost: Which EU countries are investing the most?

Largely fuelled by the war in Ukraine, EU member states' military spending peaked at €279 billion in 2023, with 2024 expected to hit €326 billion.

Europe News

EU 'defence bonds' cheaper if national budgets frontloaded: Kubilius

Andrius Kubilius is expected to draw up a White Paper on European Defence within his first three months in office, including ways to finance what he has described as a "big bang" in military spending.