European Defense: Leaders Statement and Detail Size

european defense: New French President Emmanuel Macron, who threw his weight behind a common European defense during his election campaign, called the steps historic and said leaders were meeting Europe's security challenges, according to The Japan Times. The conclusions that were adopted a few moments ago in defense are up to the job. It comes as tensions with Moscow and an inward turn in Washington have pushed Europe's governments to confront years of division over military cooperation. We must consider the historic nature of this, Macron told a news conference during an EU summit. Although the leaders' statement did not detail the size of the defense fund, the European Commission has said it would put forward at least 1.5 billion 1.69 billion a year from the bloc's budget for research and the purchase of assets. Modest by U.S. standards, the measures could nevertheless revitalize Europe's inefficient defense industry, allow the EU to send more peacekeepers to flash points and send a message to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that the bloc wants to pay for its own security. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.