Defence and security

Germany, France table reform of European defence cooperation scheme

25-04-2024

Berlin and Paris, in a non-paper seen by Euractiv, argue to streamline the project management phase across capitals, lessen the administrative burden and avoid misuse of EU funds.

23-04-2024

Negotiations for EU defence industry programme likely to face delay

Est. 4min

Despite the European Commission’s hopes to launch a brand new European defence industry programme (EDIP) by 2025, the first rounds of negotiations and exchanges have pushed the deadline by at least six months, people involved in the discussions told Euractiv.

22-04-2024

Poland ‘ready’ to host nuclear weapons, Polish president says

Est. 4min

Poland is ready to host nuclear weapons on its territory, President Andrzej Duda announced on Monday (22 April), confirming he had been in talks on the matter with the US administration during a recent visit.

22-04-2024

Western military aid to Ukraine closes spending gap with Russia – SIPRI report

Est. 3min

Western military aid to Ukraine has narrowed the spending gap between Ukraine and Russia to $10 billion, as an investment race is spreading globally, according to the latest data on military spending released by SIPRI

17-04-2024

Denmark, Czechia, the Netherlands look to support air defence for Ukraine

Est. 3min

NATO Secretary-General pushed Kyiv's allies to dig deeper in stockpiles to support Ukraine militarily, while three European leaders said they will look into missile defence systems, on Wednesday (17 April).

17-04-2024

Where does the EU stand on its ammunition pledge to Ukraine?

Est. 7min

One year after EU member states promised Ukraine one million rounds of ammunition within twelve months and delivered half the deal, other channels to supply Kyiv outside the EU framework also struggle to show success.

17-04-2024

Letta gives way to Commission’s push to create common defence market

Est. 4min

The EU defence market must be more integrated, create champions, get access to cash and give the Commission overseeing powers, Enrico Letta’s audit says, going fiercely against member states’ protectorship.

15-04-2024

The Brief – Spot the differences: Attacks on Israel and Ukraine

Est. 6min

It’s the same drones and almost the same missiles. But Israel’s outstanding air defences and the decisive help it got from a mighty coalition of allies, including the US, wildly surpass anything Ukraine can hope for.

12-04-2024

Britain to equip ships with lasers to take down drones from 2027

Est. 2min

Britain's defence ministry on Friday (12 April) said it would install lasers on warships designed to cheaply shoot down drones from 2027, five years earlier than previously expected, under reforms designed to speed up the deployment of new technology.

11-04-2024

The Brief – Below the radar

Est. 7min

It often happens that news flying below the radar ends up being quite significant. Case in point: The announcement that two dozen German soldiers arrived in Vilnius on Monday, with a further 150 due to join them later this year, barely made headlines outside Lithuania.

Europe's East 10-04-2024

EU sets out plan for lasting Ukraine security commitments

Est. 4min

The EU has put together a framework document, based on the bloc's existing and ongoing efforts, to give Ukraine lasting security commitments, according to a draft by the bloc’s diplomatic service (EEAS), seen by Euractiv.  The draft document, dated 8 April, …

10-04-2024

Finland’s Stubb wants to better structure EU and NATO defence tasks

Est. 4min

Finland's new President Alexander Stubb said on Wednesday (10 April) he wants a clear distinction between EU and NATO on defence matters, with industrial policy and funds on one side, and military planning and threat countering on the other.

10-04-2024

EU’s forgotten top job: Ireland, Poland and Slovenia eye EU military body chair

Est. 5min

The campaign is on to find a new chair of the EU’s highest military body, the EU Military Committee (EUMC), with three countries competing for the post, one month before the election.

09-04-2024

Europe needs more funds for defence as wider war ‘no longer a fantasy’, Borrell warns

Est. 3min

A full-scale conflict in Europe is “no longer a fantasy” and Europeans must find new ways to financially prepare for a potentially wider war on the continent, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell warned on Tuesday (9 April).

08-04-2024

EU’s Red Sea mission successfully repels attacks, but lacks ships

Est. 3min

.The EU's operation in the Red Sea to protect commercial ships from attacks by Houthi rebels is showing results but remains stuck in a small area of operation due to a lack of ships and other assets, officials said on Monday (8 April).

04-04-2024

NATO’s steady enlargement shows attraction of Western security guarantees

Est. 6min

Turning 75 on Thursday (4 April), NATO will celebrate the success of its open-door policy that has charmed many over the decades but will remain keenly aware that it is facing possibly the biggest security challenges since its inception.

04-04-2024

NATO 75th anniversary: spotlight on enlargement and countering Russia

On the latest episode of our daily podcast Today in the EU, we’re looking at today’s NATO meeting in Brussels.

03-04-2024

NATO allies aim to finalise Ukraine military support plan by July summit

Est. 3min

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday (3 April) confirmed that the military alliance's members will look into the organisation taking a greater coordination role in military aid deliveries to Ukraine, but stayed wary of giving way to a new fund.

Elections 03-04-2024

Softening stance? French far-left party hints at supporting NATO in case of attack

Est. 5min

The French far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) would be in favour of France providing help to a NATO country attacked by Russia, its lead candidate, Manon Aubry, told national public radio on Wednesday (3 April), hinting at a softening of the party's long-lasting anti-NATO stance.

03-04-2024

Rutte’s road to NATO leadership faces hurdles in four countries

Est. 4min

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and those who support him are facing an uphill battle for the NATO top job, likely to delay the decision by weeks.

02-04-2024

NATO mulls safety net plans for Ukraine, concerned about US disengagement

Est. 5min

NATO members are considering transitioning coordination of military deliveries to Ukraine as well as a €100 billion fund to secure long-term support and be able to weather any major political shift across the Western military alliance.

27-03-2024

Rift in German Social Democrats widens as Scholz urged to back Ukraine’s victory

Est. 3min

Germany’s ruling Social Democrats are facing a rift over the government's Ukraine policy as a group of notable historians within the party denounced on Wednesday (27 March) Chancellor Olaf Scholz's 'ambiguous rhetoric' towards Russia.

27-03-2024

NATO must create ‘more strategic difficulties for Russia’, Sweden’s FM says

Est. 4min

The West should aim to create more "strategic difficulties" in a bid to reign in Russia's behaviour, with the first priority being to "stop the aggression against Ukraine", an area where NATO is not doing enough, Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström told Euractiv.

26-03-2024

France ‘would not rule out’ requisitions to speed up arms production, defence minister says

Est. 4min

Paris is prepared to requisition "personnel, stocks or production tools" to accelerate the production of armaments by the domestic industry, France's Minister for Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, said on Tuesday (26 March).

Global Europe 26-03-2024

Spain calls Israel’s criticism over Palestinian statehood recognition ‘nonsense’

Est. 2min

Spain's decision to recognise Palestine as an independent state is not rewarding terrorism, Israel's claims otherwise are "nonsense", according to Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in an interview on Tuesday (26 March)