N. Peter Kramer’s Weekly Column
Last weekend, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the initiative for a “European Ukraine summit” in London. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was there, as were the leaders of the five big EU countries (France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Germany) and six of the smaller member states (The Netherlands, Romania, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Czech Republic). In addition to the UK, non-EU member-states Norway, Turkey and Canada were present. Of course, Starmer invited NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the EU Council and EU Commission Presidents António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.
It was not an EU gathering nor a NATO one, although the14 countries around the table were NATO members, except Ukraine whom we can regard as NATO’s best friend. Prime Minister Starmer called the meeting ‘the coalition of the willing’ to guarantee Ukraine peace. Europe would take the lead but would need US backing for a peace plan, he said.
Two days after the London meeting, Ursula von der Leyen launched a €800 billion plan called ‘ReArm Europe’. Under the plan EU member states would increase their investments in defence by €800 billion over the next four years. VDL wants to raise the biggest chunk of the €800 billion by activating the ‘national escape clause’ in the EU budget rules. This would allow the 27 member states to spend extra on defence without running the risk of ending up in the Commission’s penalty box for an excessive deficit. ‘ReArm Europe’ has been presented in the run-up to the EU summit tomorrow in Brussels, on defence and military aid. EU leaders may already get behind the plan, but according to some, much more will be needed.
It is a tough shift after 80 years relying on the deep pockets of American taxpayers for Europe’s defence!
