Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 7, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz urges EU nations to boost defence spending to support Ukraine and fill gaps, emphasizing Franco-German cooperation.
BERLIN (Reuters) - All members of the European Union must boost their defence spending to fill gaps in the bloc's capabilities and secure continued support for Ukraine, Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Paris on Wednesday.
"Only in this way can we gradually close our capability gaps and collectively support Ukraine," Merz said at a press conference alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, during which the leaders promised a new start for Europe driven by Franco-German cooperation.
It was Merz's first foreign trip as chancellor, with a stop in Poland planned after France as the conservative leader seeks to renew relations with Germany's top allies.
(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, writing by Rachel More, editing by Thomas Seythal)
The main topic is Germany's call for increased EU defence spending to support Ukraine and address capability gaps.
Merz's visit aimed to strengthen Franco-German cooperation and discuss EU defence spending.
Merz met with French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Paris.
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