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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer address the press at the end of their meeting of state leaders of the European Group of Five (E5) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on June 24, 2026. John MacDougall/Pool via Reuters
The German chancellor has said that Europe wants to strengthen itself within NATO, as European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the defense alliance.
Friedrich Merz made the remarks before a June 24 meeting in Berlin with the leaders of France, Italy, Poland, and the UK, the five nations informally known as the European Group of Five (E5).
Victoria Friedman is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of international stories, with a particular interest in technology, eastern Europe, and defense.
