The leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland met in Berlin on Wednesday for an emergency dinner summit, pledging to strengthen European defence and present a unified position ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara on July 7-8, after weeks of friction both within Europe and with the United States.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hosted the gathering under the so-called E5 format grouping Europe’s largest military spenders, said the Ankara summit would be the moment to demonstrate Europe’s determination to take a stronger role within the alliance. French President Emmanuel Macron struck an optimistic tone, saying recent diplomatic engagement pointed to a “reconvergence” between European and American priorities.
The show of unity came against a backdrop of real tensions. Berlin and Paris recently scrapped their long-delayed FCAS joint fighter jet project after years of strategic disagreements, a setback that exposed the difficulties Europe faces in pooling its defence efforts. Washington, meanwhile, has been pressing allies over their refusal to support the US-Israel war on Iran and threatening to reduce its military footprint in Europe.
The five leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine, agreeing that military, economic and political support for Kyiv would remain a central item on the Ankara agenda.
The meeting also served as an unofficial farewell for outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation earlier this week. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk paid tribute, saying that thanks to Starmer’s efforts, it had been possible to “forget about Brexit for a moment.”
