STRATEGIC AUTONOMY
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London Ukraine meeting tests whether Europe can turn support into security guarantees
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany are meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London in a renewed attempt to coordinate European support for Ukraine and define the security guarantees that could underpin any future settlement with Russia. The talks, hosted…
Turkey seeks larger defence role as Europe rearms and alliances shift
Turkey is seeking a larger role in Western defence markets as European governments increase military spending, expand procurement and reassess their dependence on the United States for long-term security guarantees. The shift reflects both Turkey’s growing defence-industrial capacity and the…
Ukraine’s Fire Point Tests FP-7 Missile as Kyiv Seeks Domestic Ballistic and Air Defence Capability
Ukraine’s defence industry has taken another step towards developing its own ballistic missile and missile defence capability, after Fire Point conducted a controlled flight test of the FP-7.X missile, intended to form the basis of the future Freyja anti-ballistic interceptor…
Scaled-back BALTOPS drill highlights NATO’s maritime stretch in the Baltic
NATO’s annual Baltic Sea naval exercise will begin this week at roughly half last year’s scale, underlining both the alliance’s continuing focus on the region and the pressure on Western naval resources from commitments elsewhere. The US-led BALTOPS exercise will…
Norway to Join French Nuclear Umbrella as Europe Reassesses Deterrence
Oslo says the decision reflects Russia’s rearmament and its war against Ukraine, while stressing that no nuclear weapons will be stationed in Norway in peacetime. Norway is to come under France’s nuclear umbrella after Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre travelled…
NATO Ukraine Funding Plan Exposes Uneven Burden-Sharing Among Allies
Mark Rutte’s proposal for NATO members to allocate 0.25 per cent of GDP to military support for Ukraine has failed to secure unanimous backing, exposing divisions over how the Alliance should finance Kyiv’s defence ahead of the Ankara summit. NATO’s…
Ukraine Looks to Europe After Stalled US Talks on Anti-Ballistic Missile Production
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv has seen no recent progress with Washington on expanding anti-ballistic missile production, sharpening the question of whether Europe can develop the capacity Ukraine says it urgently needs. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine has seen…
Le Pen’s NATO Command Pledge Reopens France’s Strategic Autonomy Divide
Marine Le Pen’s call for France to leave NATO’s integrated military command has turned a long-running French debate over sovereignty into a live question for European defence planning, at a time when allies are already assessing the reliability of US…
Russian Threat to NATO Remains Serious, But Baltic Attack Warnings Require Caution
Moscow is increasing pressure on NATO’s eastern flank through nuclear signalling, drone allegations and exercises with Belarus, but an imminent Russian attack on the Baltic states is not yet supported by the kind of military indicators seen before the full-scale…
Italy’s SAFE Fund Dispute Exposes the Budget Politics Behind Europe’s Rearmament Plans
Rome says it needs EU defence loans to rebuild military capacity, but the dispute over energy costs shows how Europe’s rearmament plans remain tied to national budget pressures. Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said Rome has an “essential” need…