by Andreas Rinke
MUNICH (Reuters) – Europe must strengthen its ability to defend itself to deter potential aggressors, regardless of who wins the next U.S. presidential election or the outcome of the war in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf said on Saturday Scholz during the Munich Security Conference.
The annual three-day gathering, attended by political leaders, diplomats and military officers from around the world, comes as Europe grows increasingly concerned about U.S. engagement with Ukraine and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in general.
Indeed, former US President Donald Trump previously said that if he were re-elected later this year, he would not defend members of the Atlantic Alliance who do not spend enough on defense.
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Congressional Republicans who support Donald Trump are also blocking defense aid to Ukraine against Russia.
“We Europeans must be more concerned about our own security, today and in the future,” Olaf Scholz said on the second day of the conference, nicknamed the “Davos of defense”.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has increased its defense spending to 2% of its production and will continue to achieve this objective set by NATO, he added.
Berlin is also discussing the development of long-range precision weapons with its French and British allies to ensure its deterrence strategy remains cutting-edge, the chancellor said.
Olaf Scholz, however, spoke out against Donald Trump’s comments, affirming that “any relativization of the NATO defense clause only serves those who want to weaken us, like [le président russe Vladimir] Putin”. The transatlantic bond remains strong, he added.
REASSURE EUROPE
The Vice-President of the United States, Kamala Harris, however sought to reassure Europe during the first day of the conference on Friday, marked by the announcement of the death of Alexeï Navalny, critic of the Kremlin.
President Joe Biden’s commitment to NATO remains steadfast and his administration will continue to push to help Ukraine obtain the weapons and resources it needs, Kamala Harris said.
“Our commitment to building and maintaining alliances has helped America become the most powerful and prosperous country in the world,” she said. “It would be foolish to put all of this at risk.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg are due to speak at roundtables in Munich later today.
In the evening, the focus is expected to be on the Middle East and the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with speeches from Jordan’s King Abdullah and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as roundtable discussions with foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
(Reporting Andreas Rinke in Munich, Sarah Marsh and Matthias Williams in Berlin; French version Kate Entringer)
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