Europe has decided to accelerate its arms career. The heads of state and government of the twenty -seven have agreed on Thursday to give an impulse unprecedented to military spending in the Union, with a road map that will allow reaching the capacities required by 2030. The European Commission and the head of community diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, will assume the task of defining the specific steps, with periodic reviews – the first in October – to maintain the high pressure.
“We want to spend better: invest together, more rational, more efficient, as a team,” said António Costa, president of the European Council. The conclusions of the summit are resounding: leaders demand “to continue substantially increasing the expense in defense and security of Europe”, take advantage of the available financing mechanisms and avoid duplicities that reduce efficiency.
The reference is clear. In full coordination with NATO – which has marked 5 % of GDP as a reference for military spending in the next decade – the EU wants to prevent each member state from developing redundant systems. “We do not need to replicate the same capabilities 27 times. What we need is a common system that dissupped aggression,” Costa insisted.
Spain has ratified its commitment to this plan, although it maintains its own model. Pedro Sánchez has defended 2.1 % of GDP as sufficient figure to meet the capacities assigned by the Atlantic Alliance. “There is no improvisation, there is a technical work of our Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense that the Government supports,” he said. “Our commitment is firm with NATO, but also with the welfare state.”
A USA Tariff Proposal on the top
The summit was also marked by the emergence, in real time, of the last proposal of the United States to avoid a commercial war with the EU. The president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed that Brussels received this Thursday the document with the final offer to reach an agreement before July 9, when the current tariff truce between both blocks expires.
“The message today is clear: we are willing to reach an agreement. But at the same time, we prepare for the possibility that a satisfactory result is not reached,” said Von der Leyen. “All options are still on the table. We will defend the European interest if necessary.”
Trump has threatens for months to impose new tariffs on steel, aluminum and European cars, especially countries that do not reach the military spending threshold required by NATO. Although Spain has not received a direct attack on the summit, the context does not escape anyone.
Pedro Sánchez has supported the process led by the Commission and has reiterated his total confidence in Von der Leyen. He also wanted to remember that Spain has a specific position: “We have a commercial deficit with the United States. It is a relevant fact that must be taken into account,” he said.
European partners have urged Brussels to close the pact as soon as possible. “An agreement is always better than a conflict. And zero tariffs is always better than a tariff,” Costa said. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, was even more direct: “It is not good for us. As long as a pact is not closed, exorbitant tariffs are applied. We bet on a pragmatic agreement of zero tariffs.” And the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, insisted on the urgency: “I prefer a quick and simple agreement to a slow and very complicated one.”
Ukraine, Gaza and the euro: the other hot lines
In parallel, European leaders also addressed other high voltage issues. On Gaza, at Spain, it was agreed to study “concrete measures” on the July Council after an EU report that concludes that Israel could be violating respect for human rights. “We cannot be liabilities,” said Sánchez. Von der Leyen was overwhelming: “The situation remains unbearable. Humanitarian aid must arrive immediately, without obstacles, quickly already a large scale.”
In the Ukrainian chapter, the leaders – Salvo Hungary – reiterated their support for kyiv and asked to accelerate the adoption of the nineteenth package of sanctions against Russia, especially against their shade fleet. By videoconference, Volodimir Zelenski launched a direct message: “The firmer your decisions, the closer the peace will be.”
Finally, the summit also served to reactivate an objective in the medium term: reinforce the role of the euro as an international currency. At a time when the United States shows symptoms of economic weakness, the EU wants to move towards greater financial autonomy and prevent European savings from emigrating to Wall Street. A more technical, but key to the economic future of the block.
Europe accelerates its rearme, tries to contain a commercial crisis and adjust its foreign policy in real time. The next stop will be in October, but the royal calendar is measured in weeks: there are less than two until the truce with Washington comes.
