STRATEGIC AUTONOMY
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Chopping off the predator’s paws: what Europe’s new security requires
Between Davos and Munich In a few weeks, the theme of the 56th World Economic Forum will have slipped off the front pages, though references to “Trump in Davos”, “Carney in Davos”, “Zelenskyy in Davos” and the rest will remain.…
Trump cools tariff threat after NATO talks on Greenland, but terms remain unclear
Donald Trump has stepped back from a threat to impose new tariffs on several European countries after meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, in what the US president described as a “framework” for…
US to cut about 200 NATO posts in command centres, officials say
The United States is planning to reduce the number of personnel it assigns to several NATO command and planning bodies, cutting roughly 200 positions in a move that European officials say has added to concerns about Washington’s long-term commitment to…
Trump’s Greenland pressure tests NATO unity as Alaska troops put on standby
NATO allies are confronting an unusual mix of external coercion and internal strain after President Donald Trump renewed his push to bring Greenland under United States control, while the Pentagon placed a sizeable Alaska-based force on standby for possible domestic…
France claims the lead in Ukraine intelligence as leak fears cloud the US role
PARIS — France is now providing “two-thirds” of the intelligence support Ukraine receives from foreign partners, President Emmanuel Macron said on 15 January, a claim that points to a significant rebalancing of Western support and to growing unease about the…
Europe’s defence spending soars as Readiness 2030 takes shape
European defence budgets have risen sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The latest consolidated EU figures show total defence expenditure by the 27 member states reached €343 billion in 2024, equivalent to 1.9 per cent of…
France leads small Nato mission to Nuuk amid US claims on Greenland
A small European Nato deployment has begun arriving in Greenland as Denmark and its allies move to underline their role in Arctic security amid renewed US pressure to take control of the territory. France confirmed that a 15-strong contingent had…
Brussels proposes €90bn EU loan scheme for Ukraine covering 2026–27
The European Commission has proposed a €90 billion EU-backed loan for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, splitting the package between budget support and military procurement and linking disbursements to reform and oversight conditions. The Commission says it wants the first…
Europe’s gunpowder bottleneck: how cotton supply chains became a defence issue
Europe’s drive to expand artillery production has exposed a constraint that sits well upstream of the factory floor: access to nitrocellulose, the key chemical used in modern propellants. Nitrocellulose is produced by nitrating cellulose, and in the defence sector it…
Slovak arms deal sets €58bn framework for EU ammunition supplies
Slovak ammunition manufacturer ZVS Holding has signed a seven-year framework agreement with the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic to supply large- and medium-calibre ammunition to EU member states, with a potential value of up to €58 billion. The…