France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain are determined to “take greater responsibility” for their security and work for a “more European”, their defense ministers and undersecretaries said today.
“NATO remains the cornerstone of collective defense and we are ready to assume a greater responsibility for the security of Europe,” they underlined in a joint statement, which they issued at the end of their meeting in Krakow, in southern Poland.
These countries are committed to “further strengthening deterrence and defense” with the aim of “preventing a possible attack by Russia and guaranteeing the ability to respond to a wide range of threats.”
At the Hague summit in 2025 and under pressure from the US government, the NATO allies pledged to increase their defense spending to 5% of their GDP.
The five signatories of the Krakow declaration, which have joined forces in the so-called “E5” formation, say about this increase that they want “a fair distribution of the burdens between the Allies”.
“Effective responses to today’s threats and challenges require a proportionate contribution from the Allies (…). We are working towards a more European NATO, strengthening the readiness of European defense”, which means increasing the strength of the defense industry, they assure.
