Ukraine's defeat would put European values at risk, which is why there is no alternative but for Europe’s support to continue, European Council President Charles Michel says ( www.euractiv.com )
With Russia’s war raging nearby and the threat that a second Trump administration could pull the US out of NATO, Europe has increased its military spending. At the same time, the EU’s defence programmes and funds have multiplied.
“Following the start of the war two years ago, we all understand that we need to build a stronger security architecture,” Michel said.
“It can only be reliable and possible if we have, on the one hand, much more coordination among the EU member states in terms of capabilities, but also a much more powerful industrial basis,” he said.
His words echoed French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for the EU in the long run to strive for ‘strategic sovereignty’ rather than relying specifically on the US through NATO.
“A few years ago, there were some doubts, and I remember that probably around the European Council table, many had in mind that NATO is the umbrella of security and Europe should be more focused on economic purposes – now we face a new paradigm, and I am pleased to observe that the mindset it is totally different,” Michel said.
