EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas stated that Europe should heed US President Donald Trump’s demand to spend more on defence and take more responsibility.
Trump previously said NATO members must ramp up defence spending from 2% to 5% of their GDP. He also threatened to halt support for those allies that did not meet the required minimum.
Kallas added that the EU should “shoulder a fair share of responsibility” for Europe’s security and that the US should remain a powerful ally. However, not all European leaders shared her stance.
French President Emmanuel Macron told top military leaders on Monday that European taxpayers’ money should be invested in domestic weapons, not just “buy more American materiel.”
On 3 February, EU leaders will meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for informal talks on reinforcing Europe’s defence. The EU considers the necessity of a new defence agreement with the UK as a “key partner” in protecting the continent.
