The five leading NATO member states – France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom – announced on Monday their readiness to take on a greater share of responsibility within the alliance while affirming the United States as an indispensable ally.
After talks in Paris, the defence ministers of the five nations (collectively known as the E5 group) declared that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security and bear a larger burden within NATO.
We are determined to work in close coordination with the United States and all Allies to implement this concrete ambition, they stated.
The United States is and will remain an indispensable ally, and its continued engagement in European security is essential for a strong and credible NATO.
French Minister Catherine Vautrin said the five countries had agreed to work toward “a stronger Europe within an equally stronger NATO” through a coordinated plan developed in full transparency with Washington.
Vautrin indicated that the next E5 meeting will be held in Rome in March 2027.
European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who attended the meeting, said, “We must continue to modernise our forces and capabilities to build a stronger Europe within a stronger NATO.”
Poland was represented by its deputy defence minister, Paweł Zalewski.
Regarding U.S. plans to reduce its military presence in Europe, Zalewski expressed confidence that any agreement would be coordinated with allies to avoid deterrence gaps or capability shortfalls.
In May, the Pentagon surprised European allies by announcing plans to withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany, representing about 15 % of the 36,000 troops currently stationed there.
Washington indicated at the time that the withdrawal would be carried out over the next six to twelve months.
The E5 defence ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine, although they did not announce any new financial or operational assistance.
Britain’s Wes Streeting said, “We will be with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” warning of a Russian threat “of a kind we haven’t seen since the end of the Cold War.”
However, he added, “None of us seek war with Russia. And we certainly have no quarrel with the Russian people.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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