European Military Powers Meet in Berlin to Coordinate NATO Strategy
Leaders from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Poland met in Berlin on Wednesday to align their strategies before the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara. Hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the meeting of the so-called E5 focused on strengthening the European pillar of the Atlantic Alliance and coordinating security guarantees for Ukraine.
The gathering comes amid escalating tensions with the United States, as President Donald Trump has expressed frustration over European allies' lack of support for the U.S. war in Iran. In response, the U.S. has begun scaling back its military presence in Europe, including the reduction of conventional assets and strategic enablers such as command structures and logistics.
During the meeting, the E5 leaders emphasized their commitment to maintaining both European and transatlantic unity. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the countries were meeting to confirm they would safeguard this unity, while Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni noted that Europe must resolutely pursue a stronger European component of the alliance to shoulder its own security responsibilities.
Chancellor Merz reported that the group agreed to coordinate closely on several critical defense challenges, specifically focusing on artificial intelligence, air defense, and long-range weaponry. This coordination is intended to help Europe gradually replace U.S. military capabilities in the region.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte joined the discussions via video conference. His participation coincided with a diplomatic effort in Washington to ease frictions with President Trump, who has questioned the U.S. commitment to the mutual defense pact and has previously described the alliance as a "paper tiger."
