France, Germany to cooperate more closely on defence

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed on Wednesday to ramp up security cooperation in the face of Russian threats, as the new German leader visited Paris on his first trip abroad. Europe is seeking to bolster its defences amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and doubts over US security commitments to Europe under President Donald Trump, though Merz insisted that any peace deal in Ukraine required an American commitment.

'We will set up a French-German defence and security council to meet regularly to bring operational responses to our common strategic challenges,' Macron said at their joint press conference. Merz is a committed European, transatlanticist and Ukraine supporter who has pledged to restore Germany's role on the world stage after half a year of paralysis. 'We will take joint measures to further enhance Europe's security and defence capabilities,' Merz said, before heading to Poland later in the day.

Macron said that strengthening 'the European pillar of Nato' did not weaken the alliance. 'It is perfectly natural that all issues should be discussed, including nuclear deterrence, given our history and our specific characteristics,' he said. — AFP