E5 leaders hold first dinner in Berlin to shape common stance before Ankara NATO summit

A new grouping answers old complaints

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited the leaders of four other major European NATO members to the chancellery on Wednesday evening, expanding a previous E3 format (Germany, France, the UK) that had upset Italy and Poland. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk made clear his country must be in the room.

“Poland is an absolutely indispensable link to seriously discuss the future of Ukraine and the region.”

The dinner is the first meeting of the E5 at head-of-government level, though defence ministers from the same five nations have met eight times since late 2024, most recently on 12 June in a video conference that produced a joint statement pledging a "burden-shift in close coordination with the United States."

The E3 – E5 tension over Ukraine diplomacy

The push for a broader table comes as a smaller E3 group (Germany, France, the UK) has led European diplomacy on Ukraine, meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London about two weeks ago. Italy and Poland criticised being left out. The rift was sharpened at last week’s EU summit in Brussels, when European Council President António Costa’s team made uncoordinated contact with Russia. Ireland and Austria backed the initiative, while Berlin called it an affront to the E3.

Friction over Iran and burden-sharing

The Berlin talks are set against transatlantic strains. The United States, which began a war alongside Israel against Iran in February, is angered by what it sees as insufficient allied support. Washington also expects Europeans to carry more of NATO’s defence load. Article 4 notes that the five governments may discuss how to "placate President Donald Trump transatlantically or, if necessary, fill military gaps left by the U.S. Army sooner than expected."

A naval option for the Strait of Hormuz

As a way of compensating for the perceived shortfall in Iran-related assistance, France, the UK and Germany are willing to deploy minehunters and warships to the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire holds, helping to secure the vital chokepoint between Iran and Oman. This offer is likely to be explored in the Berlin dinner.

Rutte’s bridge-building

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will join the meeting by video from Washington, where he is due to meet President Trump afterwards. Ahead of that encounter, Rutte sought to contain the damage.

“As far as NATO is concerned, I know there is disappointment, but we should also consider that these are isolated cases.”

The Ankara summit on 7–8 July will be the next test for the transatlantic partnership, which diplomats say was partly mended by the recent G7 summit.