Ukraine-Russia War: European leaders announce plans to strengthen defense and reduce dependency

European leaders They declared their intention to collective rearmament Increasing independence in response to Russian aggressionwhich caused a “tectonic shift” on the continent.

Leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union on Friday held an “informal meeting” at the historic Palace of Versailles outside Paris to discuss the invasion of Ukraine and determine next steps. Ukraine has requested expedited admission to the organization, but Macron said the answer was “no,” the Guardian reported.

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Instead the meeting turned into discussions about the union’s future, leading to a solution That the European Union cut its dependence on other countries for “our food, our energy and our defence”.

“We want to be open to the world, but we want to choose our partners and not depend on anyone,” French President Emmanuel Macron said. “The Versailles Declaration is connected with the fact that sovereignty in Europe, which some might think of as a French motto or imagination, is today seen by all as decisive.”

European leaders argued that the decision to strengthen defense capabilities would be in line with NATO and its goals, which remain “the basis of the collective defense of its members.”

“A stronger and more capable European Union in the field of security and defense will contribute positively to global and transatlantic security and complement NATO,” the declaration said.

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The leaders agreed to “better invest in defense capabilities and innovative technologies” through increased defense spending and through enhanced cooperation and coordination among the armed forces. European Council President Charles Michel referred to the declaration as a European defense “initiative”.

Germany continues to offer the most surprising change in the situation, with Chancellor Olaf Schulz announcing on February 27 that his government will allocate €100 billion to a fund strengthen its army After decades of taking a non-aggression approach to conflicts. In the months leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany remained prominent Stop providing lethal assistance.

The mayor of Kyiv described Germany’s donation of 5,000 helmets to support their defense efforts in the weeks leading up to the invasion as a “joke”.

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But it now appears that Germany has predicted a continent-wide policy shift.

The most interesting policy outlined by the declaration is to increase synergies “between civil, defense and space research and innovation.” Countries remain concerned about “increasing hybrid warfare… cyber resilience… and combating disinformation.”

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The European Commission will present an analysis of defense investment gaps among member states by mid-May and propose “any further initiative necessary to strengthen the European defense industrial and technological base”.