Hey there! 🌍 Did you hear about the big meeting in Poland? On Monday, defense ministers from five important European countries got together to talk about making Europe’s defense stronger and helping Ukraine.
Who are these countries?
These countries are known as the “European Five” or E5. They include Poland, Germany, France, Britain, and Italy. They are the European countries that spend the most money on defense for NATO, which is a group of countries that work together to keep peace and security.
What did they talk about?
- Strengthening Europe’s Defense Industry: They want to make sure that Europe can make its own defense equipment and not rely too much on others.
- Supporting Ukraine: Ukraine has been facing challenges, and the E5 ministers discussed how they can help.
What did the ministers say?
Boris Pistorius, the defense minister of Germany, said that 2025 is a very important year for Europe’s security, no matter what happens in the United States. He said, “We have no time to waste when it comes to strengthening the European pillar of NATO.” This means they need to act fast to make Europe stronger in defense.
Sebastien Lecornu, the defense minister of France, talked about getting European Union countries to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. GDP is like the total amount of money a country makes from all its goods and services.
Luke Pollard, the armed forces minister of Britain, reminded everyone that it’s important for European countries to spend more on defense.
Why is this important?
By working together, these countries can make sure Europe stays safe and can help others like Ukraine. It also shows that teamwork is important when facing big challenges!
Fun Fact
Did you know that NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? It’s a group of 31 countries (as of 2023) from Europe and North America that agree to protect each other.
Conclusion
It’s great to see countries coming together to make the world a safer place! 🌟
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
