France, Germany, Poland, The United Kingdom, And Italy Agreed On Five Key Priorities Ahead Of The NATO Summit
- 24.06.2026, 21:51
Support for Ukraine occupies a special place in the joint position.
The leaders of the E5 countries—France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Italy—developed five common messages at a meeting in Berlin that they intend to promote on the international stage, including at the NATO summit in Ankara this July. This was announced by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
According to Merz, the main message from the meeting’s participants was support for NATO as a key instrument for ensuring security in the transatlantic region.
The leaders identified the further strengthening and modernization of the Alliance as their second priority, including bolstering NATO’s European component through increased defense spending by European nations.
“We will not be able to achieve our defense goals if we act alone. We want to act as Europeans, but in close cooperation with the United States and within the framework of the transatlantic partnership. Our neighbors should feel safer if Germany becomes stronger and more reliable,” the chancellor emphasized.
Coordination between European allies and the U.S. on defense and security issues was identified as a third key priority.
Support for Ukraine occupies a special place in the joint position. According to Merz, this issue will be one of the main topics at the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey.
“The federal government proposes to provide Kyiv with long-term funding guarantees. We must show Russia that Ukraine will remain strong, as European support will not waver,” stated the head of the German government.
The fifth joint message was support for the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. The E5 leaders welcomed the progress of the diplomatic process and expressed interest in its continuation.
Merz also said that he intends to brief U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the results of the Berlin meeting and the main topics discussed within the E5 framework.