European leaders will gather Monday to plot a rough path forward on defense. Wavering support from President Trump is likely to drive the debate.The New York Times reports that on Monday, European leaders will convene to discuss a plan for defense in light of wavering support from President Trump. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia three years ago prompted European leaders to recognize the need for increased defense spending. However, with Trump’s return to the White House, the issue has become more pressing. The United States, which is currently the largest military funder of Ukraine, may withdraw its financial and military support, leaving the burden on Europe. Trump has also called for NATO nations to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of their annual economic output, a significant jump from the current goal of 3 percent or 3.5 percent. This has caused concern in Europe, as the United States itself only spends about 3.4 percent of its GDP on defense. The Trump administration’s confrontational stance in other areas, such as trade, has also led to a sense of urgency for Europe to become more self-sufficient. The European Union, which was founded on principles of free trade and peace, is now focused on deterrence and defense. The leaders will discuss ways to expand defense industries and make spending more efficient and collaborative. This will include a debate on whether the European Union should raise funds through common debt, as it did during the Covid pandemic. However, this may impede individual efforts by member countries to meet the demands of NATO. Of the 27 countries attending the meeting, 23 are also members of NATO. This will be the first time since Britain’s departure from the European Union that a British leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will attend a meeting with the 27 leaders of the bloc in Brussels.
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