"The time of illusions is now over. Europe must step up and take charge of its own defence," she declared. "We need a surge in European defence. And we need it now".

Strengthening deterrence

Von der Leyen's call comes as US President Donald Trump's commitment to Ukraine and NATO has faltered, raising fears that Washington may scale back its security role.

Meanwhile, his openness to negotiating with Russia over Ukraine has sparked concerns that Kyiv could be pressured into an unfavourable deal.

"Putin cannot be trusted - he can only be deterred," von der Leyen asserted, noting that Russia is outspending all of Europe combined on defence.

Macron hosts military chiefs from 30 countries to discuss Ukraine | Le monde |

The French president on Tuesday welcomed military leaders from EU and NATO countries, including Britain and Turkey, to investigate security guarantees for Ukraine as negotiations with US officials began in Saudi Arabia.

French President Emmanuel Macron was on Tuesday, March 11, to address a meeting of military chiefs from 30 European and NATO countries willing to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine after any negotiated truce with Russia. Macron, who has sought to rally a European response to Washington's shock policy shift [from war to peace - 😊] in US-Russia relations, has said the meeting will be held in coordination with NATO military command.

The get-together of military chiefs of staff from 30 European and NATO nations - including Britain and Turkey - is "important," said Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, adding that it would aim to lay the foundation for any possible security guarantees for Ukraine. "It is simply a question of looking ahead and thinking about what the Ukrainian army should be in the future," Lecornu said ahead of the talks. "We will reject any form of demilitarisation of Ukraine," he added.

With more than 800,000 troops, Ukraine's army is the largest in Europe, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. More than three years since Russia invaded its neighbour, Europe is scrambling to boost its defenses and break free from dependence on the United States.

With NATO surge in expansion towards the Russian frontier from the Arctic circle to the Black Sea, Putin asks what should we do about the missile launch pad build in the Ukraine on Moscow's doorstep. A repeat of so often aggression by one of the Western states over last 200 years.

'Army of Europe' needed to challenge Russia, says Ukraine's President Zelensky @MSC | BBC News - 15 Feb. 2025 |

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy calls for the creation of the "armed forces of Europe" amid new line by Washington | CBS News |

Who will carry the nuclear football in Europe's Army??

The skill of deterrence is NOT to use weapons out of your arsenal ... back to the design table how to make peace we squandered post Bush-Cheney aggression with the war on terror, attrition and war crimes ... still raging in Gaza - West Bank and Israel. The ugliness of war not seen since .... sorry too many battles post WWII to list them all.
Are the resent sad group of leaders in Europe responsible to set the parameters of AI as the Jewish State of Israel has already demonstrated in the Gaza genocide of Palestinians?

The Israel Defense Forces' Use of AI in Gaza: A Case of Misplaced Purpose

University of Groningen still has a reputation for the study of peace ...

Autonomous weapons lower threshold to war | RUG - 15 Jan. 2024  

Killer robots? Self-firing drones? There is a strong suspicion that an autonomous weapon system is already in use in Libya. However, regulation is still lacking. PhD student Taís Blauth studies the legal and ethical questions raised by these weapons.

Provoking the Dragon
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Southwest China Puts on Dazzling Drone Show | CCTV Video News Agency |

The night sky in Guiyang, the capital city of southwest China's Guizhou province, has been a little bit brighter since Friday as 526 drones lit up the sky with a spectacular performance daily. (27 May 2019)

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John Mearsheimer: "China ascends! Trump's European Withdrawal Leaves Russia Unchecked"

Delve into the shifting dynamics of global power. China's rapid ascent continues under President Xi Jinping, with initiatives like the Belt and Road shaping international relations. Meanwhile, Trump's foreign policy has led to a perceived abandonment of Europe, prompting discussions about NATO's future and Europe's need for self-reliance. Concurrently, Russia's assertive actions have positioned it as a formidable force on the world stage.

As a recluse monk, Joe observed the globe from his private room in the White House with a few hand-picked trusted advisors to keep the changing power equation in Asia and Europe in check. The chant four more years! Four more years ... ringing in his faltering memory with disastrous consequences for the Democratic Party and American politics.

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Meets the Press | 7 March 2025 |

Wang Yi: Friends from the media, good morning. I'm very pleased to meet you again. Thank you for your continued interest in and support of China's diplomacy. The year 2024 saw profound changes in the international landscape as well as remarkable progress in China's reform and development. Under the stewardship of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China made important progress in its diplomacy. We fostered a good external environment for China's high-quality development, brought much-needed stability to a changing and turbulent world, and made new and solid strides in building a community with a shared future for mankind. This year, the international situation is still full of challenges. But the mission of China's diplomacy remains unchanged. We will, along with other countries, continue to uphold what is right, steer the direction of our era, defend international fairness and justice, and safeguard world peace and stability. With that, I'm ready to take your questions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Meets Press on Foreign Policy and Relations | CCTV Video News Agency |