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European Union governments are exploring ways to include the United Kingdom and Norway in a “coalition of those who wish” devoted to the expansion of the continent's defenses, while circumventing the military and friendly neutral storms.
UK Prime Minister Kiir Starmer and NATO Secretary -General Mark Retty will join the leaders of the European Union in Brussels on Monday to circulate how to share the tremendous costs of armament and increase military capabilities. The discussion takes place behind closed doors because the continent is under increasing pressure to take more responsibility for its security.
Russia's war against Ukraine and US President Donald Trump prompted European countries to significantly raise defense spending on fever discussions and are often different about the future of military capabilities in the continent and how to finance a financing gap estimated by the European Commission exceeding 500 billion euros.
The leaders will be subjected to greater pressure to find a common ground after Trump threatened to impose a tariff on the European Union goods, after that Selected trade measures Against China, Mexico and Canada announced this week.
Some leaders have already suggested increasing the large US weapons to appease the White House on two fronts while improving their defenses. Others are concerned that the trade war that launches the economy will only reduce its ability to spend more on weapons.
“In the short term, we must present the unit to this number of increasing our defensive capabilities,” said one of the European Union's senior diplomats participating in pre -dummy discussions. “But it is clear that on the medium and long -term horizon, there is likely to be another way forward led by a more dedicated group.”
The discussion revealed the divisions between the largest defense players in the European Union, Germany, France, and neutral countries such as Austria and Ireland, and the supportive position of Russia to Hungary and Slovakia. Meanwhile, the tunnels are incited by higher defense such as Poland and the Baltic countries against arrears such as Italy and Spain.
Funding is a major reason for contrast European Union Officials said the approach with the broader European “Alliance” with NATO members such as the United Kingdom and Norway. Such a structure has already been proposed to a collective plan that includes the European Investment Bank to raise bonds for defense purposes.
Another diplomat in the European Union said, “We cannot talk about security on the European continent without NATO, and without the British,” said another diplomat in the European Union. The responsibility of the member states. “
He met German Chancellor Olaf Schools at his residence in Checkers on Sunday before the summit, where they agreed to “the importance of increasing the production and coordination of defense throughout Europe,” according to the meeting of the meeting.
A German government official said that the Monday summit will include discussions on financing the defense industry in Europe, including “strengthening and deepening partnerships” with countries other than the European Union.
Norway is fully aware of its need for good relations with the European Union if Trump begins a trade war with the bloc. Since it is only part of the European Economic Zone, Norway risks fees from both the United States and the European Union. “We have obtained an exemption from the European Union tariff the last time, but it is not given,” the Norwegian official said.
The “Alliance of those wishing” will allow four neutral countries in the European Union, which are not members of NATO-Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, Malta-Hungary and Russia.
It was designed on Monday by European Council President Antonio Costa to be as informal as possible, with no joint statement. However, the discussion will direct the committee to formulate a deserved proposal in the spring on ways to increase the purchase of joint weapons and better coordinate the defense industry in the mass.
European Union officials said that the intention of the summit is to find “unity” on the vast issue of upgrading the defense capabilities on the continent. But they admitted that creating consensus would be difficult among all 27 members.
“It will not be easy to find overlap among all member states,” said a second official in the European Union in preparing the summit. “There is all this diversity (on defense).”
The nineteen members of the European Union have signed a joint speech this week calling for EIB, the world's largest lender with a public budget of about 550 billion euros, to relax its bases that currently prohibit direct funding for defense projects.
Some capitals also push the European Union to alleviate its rules on debt levels and deficits to exclude defensive spending, while others want the European Union to reduce the restrictions imposed on the use of its common budget for military purposes, while Germany and the Netherlands oppose any additional joint borrowing of the European Union in its favor.
Another European Union official said in preparations: “They will have to reach a kind of creative programming.” “Everyone wants to get more money for defense and security.”
