Munich Security Conference: Lack of leadership by France and Germany prevents EU from strengthening defense cooperation

Author:
Liza Brovko
Date:

The European Union cannot step up defense cooperation, as a full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war would require, because France and Germany lack political leadership on the issue.

Reuters writes about this with reference to the report of the Munich Security Conference.

It notes that Berlin and Paris are inactive, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EUʼs top diplomat Josep Borrell are pushing for EU support for Ukraine and joint procurement initiatives.

Germany has been criticized for its "absence" in EU defense matters, and France for looking after its own industrial interests rather than collective European interests.

The report states that the slow response of the two countries to a full-scale war, the delay in the supply of weapons to Ukraine, and the neglect of Eastern European countriesʼ concerns about Russia have undermined their trust in Eastern Europe and harmed joint defense initiatives.