Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Union will organize its first-ever summit on defense on February 3, 2025, discussing how Europe can take on more responsibility in defense.
European Union leaders from 27 countries will gather at Egmont Palace in Brussels. The summit will presided over by the leadership of European Council President Antonio Costa to examine the future of European defense.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend the summit to discuss further collaboration.
What will be discussed at the EU defense summit?
The summit will focus on debates about the necessity for Europe to take more responsibility for its defense in the face of ongoing threats, especially from Russia. This involves reviewing military spending and the ability of armed forces in each member state to work together.
The leaders will discuss the present state of European defense capabilities and find ways to increase cooperation among EU member states. This includes possible financial strategies, such as mobilizing private funding and making the best use of EU budget instruments. The meeting aims to lay down guidelines for future defense initiatives, including a “White Paper” on defense that the von der Leyen Commission will develop.
How does the summit compare to the Saint-Malo Agreement?
A significant past event that mirrors the future EU defense summit has been the Saint-Malo Summit, which occurred in December 1998.
It was on December 4-5, 1998, when it was held in Saint-Malo, France, as it discussed the European security situation after the Kosovo War. Such a conflict pointed to the perceived weaknesses of EU military capabilities in undertaking action without reliance on other powers.
The UK and France, in a joint declaration, highlighted the importance of the EU having its independent military capabilities. They emphasized that the EU needs to act unilaterally in cases where the entire NATO is not involved. In this respect, they were supporting the concept of a European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP).
