European leaders have insisted they are doing what US President Donald Trump wants: making NATO 'more European.' The message came after leaders from the E5 group, including Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Poland, met in Berlin to discuss the upcoming NATO summit in July.
The group aims to keep Trump placated as he considers deep cuts to the protections that have secured the continent for decades. The US has already pledged to withdraw over 5,000 troops from Germany and is reviewing its entire presence in Europe.
Europe is searching for a way to keep Trump engaged while rapidly scaling up military production and channeling billions into new weaponry. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, 'Europe must take on its own responsibilities in terms of defense and security.'
The meeting was an attempt to coalesce around a joint message for Trump ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's July 7-8 summit in Ankara. Europeans want to convince Trump that they're heeding his call to shoulder more of the financial burden for their defense.
Poland's inclusion in the meeting signaled leaders' intent to keep Russia's war in focus. Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to ensure countries on the eastern flank are represented.
French President Emmanuel Macron said, 'Fundamentally, we are in a moment of renewed convergence between Europeans and Americans.'
