European NATO Leaders Meet in Berlin Ahead of Ankara Summit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened the leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland in Berlin for a preparatory meeting of the so‑called E5 ahead of the NATO summit scheduled in Ankara in two weeks. The talks focused on how European countries can better coordinate defence spending, avoid duplicate weapons purchases and strengthen joint procurement programmes, especially as the United States considers withdrawing some of its forces from European bases.

Participants also discussed the security gap that a reduced U.S. footprint could create, the risk of Russian challenges, and whether Europe should have a unified representative in any future negotiations with Moscow. Support for Ukraine remained a key agenda item, with leaders urging continued economic and military aid despite recent tensions between Poland’s president and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. NATO Secretary‑General Jens Stoltenberg will join the summit online, and NATO’s own secretary‑general‑designate Mark Rutte warned, “I know there is disappointment regarding NATO, but we must also consider that these are isolated cases.” The meeting aims to present a coordinated European stance at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.