Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday called on European countries to take more responsibility for their security after US President Donald Trump's decision to halt military aid to Ukraine.
In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Mr Duda said Europe's security had been predicated on a system that made war seem improbable and counterproductive for any potential aggressor, and he criticised this mindset for blinding many leaders to the threats posed by Russia.
“I hope that the process of awakening from the geopolitical slumber, painful as it may be, will be swift and that Europe will take greater responsibility for its security in co-operation with proven allies,” he said. “After all, there is no choice. Citizens understand this. Now it is time for the state leaders to follow suit.”
Washington announced the halt on aid to Ukraine on Monday, days after a disastrous White House meeting between Mr Trump and Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which the US leader berated his guest for not being “serious” about peace. Mr Trump had presented Kyiv with a deal that would relinquish billions of dollars in rare-earth minerals to the US in return for military aid.
In a series of meetings with EU leaders in London on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged nations to significantly increase their spending to enhance defence co-operation.
“We should have woken up earlier,” Mr Macron said. “I’ve been saying for years that we need a more sovereign, more united, more independent Europe.”
Last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2027, marking the most significant rise since the Cold War era.
Despite calls for more independence, Europe still relies heavily on the US for defence support. Since the Second World War, the US has been central to European security, helping to establish Nato and sending troops to counter Soviet influence.
As of July last year, about 65,000 US soldiers have been permanently stationed across Europe, according to the US Defence Manpower Data Centre.
Also on Tuesday, Matt Whitaker, who has been nominated to be the next US ambassador to Nato, said he was confident allies would pay more.
Mr Whitaker told senators a big part of his job would be ensuring each Nato ally reaches Mr Trump’s call to invest the equivalent of at least 5 per cent of its gross domestic product in their militaries.
“I have no concern that our European allies and Canada can do more and want to do more,” Mr Whitaker said. “I fully expect they will do what’s necessary to continue to make Nato the strongest alliance ever in the history of the planet.”
