German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday that a European version of the English-speaking Five Eyes intelligence alliance was being considered to better respond to threats from Russia, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
During a meeting in Krakow of defense ministers from the Five alliance, which includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the United States, and which was also attended by Pistorius' colleagues from Poland, France, Britain and Italy, he said that this was possible and discussions were ongoing.
“What can we do next? One option could be to consider the idea of a joint tanker fleet or a multi-functional task force, or even a European version of the "Five Eyes," Pistorius said.
Last week, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin had begun talks with France on a European nuclear deterrent potential. Pistorius ruled out the possibility of his country acquiring nuclear weapons and said military support for France would be through conventional, non-nuclear means, even if the two countries begin talks on cooperation in the field.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin had begun talks with France on a European nuclear deterrent, and President Emmanuel Macron said Europe must become a geopolitical power because the Russian threat will not disappear, Reuters reported.
Merz, who said the continent must become stronger to be able to achieve a recharge in relations with the United States, called on Washington in a speech at the Munich Security Conference to "restore trust" in the current dangerous era of great-power politics and warned Americans that they cannot cope alone with the collapse of the old world order.
He was followed by a message from Macron, who rejected criticism of the continent but added that it was time for Europe to be more aggressive and create a more stable security architecture.
The speeches highlighted the growing desire of European leaders to go their own way after a year of unprecedented turmoil in transatlantic relations, but also their desire to preserve the alliance with Washington, Reuters notes.
Europe faces multiple threats, ranging from Russia's war in Ukraine to cataclysms in international trade.