As we head for the NATO Summit in The Hague, turmoil is all around us: war rages, norms ebb, and our certainties are challenged. In these testing times, Germany and France – together with our European and trans-Atlantic friends and allies - stand united and strong, to defend our common values as well as the freedom and security of our citizens. 

The main source of instability for Europe comes from Russia. Russia has been waging an imperialist war, with its invasions of Georgia in 2008, then of Crimea and Donbass in 2014, then the whole of Ukraine in 2022. Putin´s objective is to undermine European security to its advantage. There is a methodical attempt on the part of Russia to exercise a coercive tutelage on its neighbours, to seek to destabilize European countries and to challenge the global order. We cannot accept it, because our aim is to protect and preserve the peace on our continent. 

For as long as the current trajectory lasts, Russia will find in France and Germany an unshakable determination. Because what is at stake will determine European stability for the decades to come. 

At the NATO summit, France and Germany will reaffirm their support to US efforts to bring an end to the war, with a solid and lasting peace, preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty and our security. We will stress in particular the urgent necessity of a ceasefire; backed up by the determination to increase pressure on Russia, including through sanctions. We will ensure that Ukraine will emerge from this war prosperous, robust and secure, and will never live again under the fear of a Russian aggression.

Much has been done already. The EU, its member states and the UK have provided 130 billion euros of support to Kyiv since the beginning of the war. Together we have condemned and sanctioned Russia. There is more to come. We will increase our support to the Ukrainian armed forces. We will invest collectively in the Ukrainian defence industry. Furthermore, we will, in coordination with the UK, ensure that the future force model of Ukraine is sized and equipped to deter and repel any new invasion. 

But shouldering our responsibilities goes beyond Ukraine. We will live for the foreseeable future in a deeply destabilized environment. In a world where our allies will have other dilemmas and other priorities. Beyond Russia, we will still have many challenges to face, from terrorism to the protection of our territories, citizens, and interests across the globe. We will have to rise to these challenges. Not because someone asks us to, but because we are clear-eyed and we owe it to citizens.

France and Germany now spend more than 2% of their GDP on defence. We will go beyond, with the aim, ultimately, of 3,5% in core defence spending and 1,5% in broader expenses contributing to the defence effort. This will be our way of strengthening the European pillar of NATO. 

French and German armed forces are already deployed on the Eastern flank of Europe, as framework nations in Lithuania and Romania. Our troops make significant contributions in Poland and Estonia, in the Baltic and the Mediterranean Seas, and in the European airspace, supporting intelligence, space and cyber operations of the Alliance. 

The additional expenses will allow us to fill the gaps and strengthen our posture, faced with a revisionist Russia. We will work alongside all Allies to sustain the credibility of our posture in all domains. 

Nuclear deterrence will remain the cornerstone of Alliance security. France’s independent strategic nuclear forces contribute significantly to the overall security of the Alliance; and Germany brings contributions to NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements. Additionally, we will work towards a reform of our procurement systems by applying the “Three S”: standardization, simplification and scale. 

We will also work to ensure the good cooperation between EU and NATO. A stronger and more capable European defence contributes positively to global and transatlantic security and is both complementary to, and interoperable with NATO. This is vital, to fill in the critical capability gaps through industrial investment at the European level; and to maintain our technological edge.

In a nutshell, showing unity against all threats, providing support to Ukraine, and stating our determination to develop our European defence capabilities and industrial base through increased defence spending and investment are all part of the same equation. We unambiguously reaffirm allied unity, allied solidarity, and a commitment to the freedom, peace and security of our continent.