German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing for a summit of European leaders ahead of the NATO summit in July. This initiative comes as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on NATO, prompting Europe to signal its commitment to taking on greater defense responsibilities.
According to Bloomberg on June 1, Merz is working to organize a so-called "E5" summit in Berlin this month. The E5 refers to the five major European countries: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Poland.
The goal of the meeting is to prepare a package that demonstrates the European allies' commitment to increasing their own defense burdens. Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the E5 leaders plan to coordinate their message to the U.S. ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara, Turkey.
Merz also intends to invite NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the meeting, although specific dates have yet to be determined. A spokesperson for the German government stated, "At this point, the schedule for the E5 summit has not been set." He added that European and U.S. allies are coordinating through various channels to respond to the current situation, and the U.S. is closely monitoring Europe's defense efforts.
This move comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Europe regarding the conflict in Iran, which has spilled over into NATO discussions. President Trump has criticized European allies for not sufficiently cooperating with the U.S.-led efforts in the Iran conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February.
European leaders have distanced themselves from publicly supporting Trump, arguing that he did not adequately consult them before initiating military action in Iran. Merz has criticized Trump’s lack of a coherent war strategy, stating that the U.S. negotiating team has been humiliated by Iran, which has made him a direct target of Trump's ire.
Following this, Trump announced plans to withdraw more than 5,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany, further escalating tensions between the two nations over military presence.
Defense ministers from the E5 countries are also preparing for a separate meeting. Bloomberg reported that they will convene in Paris on June 12 to discuss a unified stance for the July NATO summit and address command structure issues in light of escalating conflicts in Europe.
Europe has already committed to increasing defense spending. NATO member states agreed at last year’s summit in the Netherlands, excluding Spain, to allocate 5% of their GDP to defense-related investments. Germany is also increasing its military budget.
In April, Merz stated, "This alliance is irreplaceable for the time being," emphasizing his commitment to maintaining the U.S. defense pledge to Europe through NATO while also advocating for increased defense spending and enhanced European responsibilities.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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