Officials say that, to appease the US, ‘burden-shifting’ rather than simply ‘burden-sharing’ will be one of the main themes in Ankara as the EU and others face pressure to ramp up their own production of defence and security equipment.
Ukrainian drones reshape the war and expose Russian vulnerabilities but Europe’s disjointed weapons factories and looming US pull-back could leave its own cities unprotected in a future confrontation.
Uncertainty about the US military commitment to Europe, plus the near-certainty of a continuing threat from Russia, places the UK centre-stage in all defence and security discussions. So who prime-minister designate Andy Burnham appoints as foreign secretary, and defence secretary, is crucial.
Ireland takes over the EU presidency as analysts ridicule its defence spending – Europe’s lowest at 0.2 percent of its GDP. But contributions to European security should not be measured by spending on arms alone: and Ireland is the case in point.
The most impactful change is the abolition of taxes charged on cross-border payments of dividends, interest and royalties between companies. This alone accounts for around €5.3bn of the projected savings.
THIS WEEK: ECB set to hike rates, as capital markets union and climate top the EU agendaThis week, the European Central Bank is expected to raise interest rates amid inflation and energy-price pressures. EU finance ministers will discuss capital markets integration and energy investment rules. The EU Commission will present the 2027 EU budget, while climate talks, transport and telecom meetings, and an EU–South Korea summit also take place.
Hungary remains the only EU country whose plan for SAFE rearmament loans hasn’t been approved. The new government now faces a mountain of challenges to access the €16bn, crucial for its armed forces.
The latest results of the annual survey show that Estonians’ willingness to take part in defending the country remains high overall. However, the biggest perceived threats are misinformation and cyberattacks, not a major military conflict.
Does a direct link really exist between rising defence spending and budgetary cuts in healthcare, benefits or pensions, as many citizens assume? Is it true that European countries must choose between ‘guns or butter’?
Last week, the European Commission condemned Russia and expressed solidarity with Romania after a drone carrying explosives struck a residential building in the Romanian border city of Galați, injuring civilians. If this is not a red line, what is? Shouldn’t it trigger a stronger response?
Pope Leo has chosen to confront one of the most pressing issues of our time by placing lethal autonomous weapons and the militarisation of artificial intelligence at the centre of his thinking.
For Europeans facing a more aggressive Russia and a less reliable US, Munich’s booming defence startups show how quickly war is reshaping industry.
The best way forward for Belarus is an often misunderstood but ultimately promising strategy known as “Finlandization” – a policy of strict neutrality.
Internal conflicts in the Latvian coalition government came to a boil, after Ukrainian drones crashed into the country without interception. The formation of a new government is now in the hands of the rightwing opposition.
Moscow was hit by 600 Ukrainian drones over the weekend, a few days after a 9 May Victory Day parade on Red Square that was noticeably scaled back. Is Russia starting to lose momentum in its war against Ukraine?
The casual cancellation last week of the long-planned nine-month rotation of a brigade combat team to Poland exemplified everything that European allies find baffling and repellent about the Trump administration. ‘Irrational incompetence’ seems best to sum up Trump’s Europe policy, writes Edward Lucas.
In one Ukrainian model, the drone flies to the front line and when its pilot gives the order, it locks onto the target, pursues it, and destroys it, even if Russian jamming cuts off contact.
Slovak defence minister Robert Kaliňák announced Bratislava wants to join the Baltic Air Policing mission with its new F-16 fighter jets — mixing up the confusing cocktail of Robert Fico’s government foreign-policy messaging.
As the US pivots away, Europe faces a critical defence gap against Russia. While leaders debate a 100,000-strong common army or increased GDP spending, the path forward remains blocked by concerns over national sovereignty and the risk of undermining Nato.
Emmanuel Macron says France is an ‘ethical partner’ for African countries as he seeks to increase Paris’s diplomatic and economic influence on the continent. However, diplomatic immunity for French troops, no-shows from Brussels, and an angry Macron hushing a crowd nearly overshadowed the event.
