E5 leaders back Ukraine support and NATO's European pillar ahead of Ankara summit

A united front

Leaders of the E5 group (France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and Italy) met in Berlin on Wednesday afternoon, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The five countries are the largest defence spenders in Europe, and their meeting was designed to forge a common position ahead of the July NATO summit in Ankara. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that the future would depend on preserving European and transatlantic unity.

“The future of Europe and the world, the future of Ukraine, will depend on how much we preserve unity.”

Tusk added that, in spite of circumstances and emotions, the signal before Ankara must be clear: Europe will protect its bonds.

Five messages for Ankara

After the talks, Merz outlined five common messages the E5 intends to convey during the summit. The first is a firm commitment to NATO as the guardian of transatlantic security. The second is renewal of the Alliance, strengthening its European pillar through rising defence expenditures across the continent. The third message stresses acting together, because defence goals cannot be met by nations in isolation. Merz noted that neighbours should feel safer when Germany itself is stronger.

The fourth message centres on Ukraine. Merz proposed that Kyiv receive a funding pledge from the federal government.

“We must show Russia that Ukraine will be strong because Europe's support will not weaken.”

The fifth message is approval of the ongoing US-Iran negotiations; Merz welcomed further consultations and said he would brief the presidents of the United States and Turkey on the E5 discussions over the coming days.

Ukraine and sanctions

Tusk confirmed that a Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine would go ahead in Gdańsk on Thursday as planned, calling it another Polish and European contribution to helping Ukraine now and after the war. Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who tendered his resignation on Monday but remains in office until a successor is chosen, pointed to battlefield dynamics and shifting sentiment inside Russia.

“Ukrainians have again managed to push back Russian forces. The mood in Moscow is changing, with more and more people dissatisfied with Putin’s policy. This is the right moment to increase sanctions, to increase support for Ukraine, to seize this moment.”

Starmer said the UK is ready to raise its own defence spending.

Iran and the Hormuz mission

French President Emmanuel Macron said the Berlin meeting was an extension of earlier talks on Ukraine and the Middle East. He noted that American and European positions on both files are converging and that the Ankara summit will be a continuation.

“Americans have realised that Ukraine's territorial integrity is important and are ready to impose new sanctions on Russia. The goal now is to continue the course towards extending sanctions to the oil and gas sectors.”

On Iran, Macron said Europe wants to participate in the peace process. An ad hoc mission in the Strait of Hormuz still requires final conditions, aiming for a peaceful end to the conflict, support for a lasting peace in Lebanon and the preservation of Lebanon's full sovereignty.

Eastern flank and Polish demands

Tusk underlined that Poland will work to ensure that countries directly threatened by aggressive Russian policy, the eastern flank states, are represented in all formats. He argued that without them it will be difficult to achieve anything in this, as he described it, civilisational confrontation with aggressive neighbours to the East. Poland plans to make its own defence spending, nearly 7 percent of GDP, heard loudly in Ankara.

“All those who take their commitments seriously should put more effort into the defence capabilities of Europe and their own countries.”

Separately, Tusk intended to raise Ukraine's naming of a military unit after "Heroes of UPA" and explain why this is unacceptable in Poland. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte joined the Berlin gathering remotely, and the leaders also reviewed outcomes of last week's G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.