Overview
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told dpa the EU does not need full autonomy from the United States on defense and should strengthen its role alongside Washington.
- Rutte said the United States wants Europe to take on more responsibility and invest more in defense while remaining aligned within the alliance.
- He cited the Hague summit pledge for all allies to lift defense‑relevant spending to five percent of GDP by 2035.
- EVP leader Manfred Weber proposed deploying German soldiers under a European flag to help secure a peace arrangement in Ukraine after a ceasefire.
- In parallel developments, a Moscow court sentenced Kremlin critic Sergej Udalzow to six years for 'justification of terrorism', and President Volodymyr Zelensky reported a 'very good' call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.