Europe's top NATO powers pledge greater defence role in Paris
Europe's five main NATO members have said they are ready to take greater responsibility for the continent's security while reaffirming the United States as an indispensable ally. Defence ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain made the pledge after talks in Paris focused on strengthening Europe's role within the alliance. The statement comes as European governments continue to debate how to share the burden of defence more evenly across NATO.
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In a joint statement, the ministers said Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security and shoulder a larger share of the burden within the alliance. They said they were determined to work in close coordination with the United States and all allies to put that ambition into practice. France's minister, Catherine Vautrin, said the five countries had agreed to work towards a stronger Europe within an equally stronger NATO through a coordinated plan developed in full transparency with Washington.
The ministers also said the United States would remain an indispensable ally and that continued American engagement in European security was essential to a strong and credible NATO. Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, took part in the meeting and said Europe must continue to modernise its forces and capabilities. Poland was represented by deputy minister Pawel Zalewski, who said he was confident any agreement on US force levels would be coordinated with allies so there were no deterrence or capability gaps.
The meeting reflects a wider effort by European NATO members to respond to pressure for greater self-reliance while preserving transatlantic unity. That debate has become more urgent amid US plans to reduce its military presence in Europe, including an announcement in May that around 5,000 troops would be withdrawn from Germany over the following six to 12 months. The Paris talks suggest the E5 group is trying to present a united position before those changes take effect.
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The E5 format brings together the five largest European military powers in NATO and has become a forum for coordination on defence policy. Their latest statement underlines the balance European leaders are trying to strike between building stronger national and regional capabilities and keeping the alliance anchored by the United States. The ministers said the next E5 meeting will be held in Rome in March 2027, indicating that the group intends to keep the issue on its agenda.
What remains unclear is how quickly the five countries can turn their political commitment into concrete military planning, spending decisions and capability upgrades. It is also not yet clear how any future US force adjustments will be managed in detail or how they will affect NATO's posture in Europe. For now, the message from Paris is that Europe wants a larger role in its own defence, but not a break with Washington.
The next test will be whether that position translates into practical coordination before the Rome meeting.
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