Latest news with #NatoSummit
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
Zelensky urges Nato to invite Ukraine to June summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged Nato to invite Kyiv to a summit of the alliance in June, warning that excluding his country would be a victory for Russia. "If Ukraine is not present at the Nato summit, it will be a victory for Putin, but not over Ukraine, but over Nato. Therefore, the decision lies with our partners," Zelensky told a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
MPs' property portfolios: Christopher Luxon sells investment houses, politicians with overseas interests
Among the politicians with the largest property portfolios is Labour MP and former Speaker Adrian Rurawhe. According to the 2025 register, he jointly owns a family home in Whangaehu and has interests in a large number of Māori land blocks. He has interests in 26 Māori land blocks in the Aotea district, one block in Tai Tokerau, two in Tākitimu, 11 in Waipounamu and interests in a Waipū general land block at Rātana Paa. National's Carlos Cheung jointly owns a number of properties. He jointly owns five rental properties in Auckland, as well as a family home there and another in Wellington. Act MP Parmjeet Parmar is another with a large portfolio. The register lists her as owning two residential rental properties, four residential rental town houses, a family home (owned by a trust) and a commercial property, all in Auckland. Her colleague Todd Stephenson jointly owns a family home in Queenstown as well as two apartments in Wellington plus two apartments in Australia, one in Sydney and one in Geelong. He also has an apartment held in trust in Wellington and a rental property held in trust in Te Ānau. Other MPs also have property interests overseas. For example, Labour's Camilla Belich lists a former family home (jointly owned leasehold property) in London, National's Todd McClay has a home in Belgium, National MP Mark Mitchell has a holiday house in Bali, National MP Maureen Pugh has a timeshare in New South Wales, Labour MP Jenny Salesa has two acres of lands on a 99-year lease in Tonga, and Labour MP Ayesha Verrall has a jointly owned family property in the Maldives. Green MP Ricardo Menendez March previously listed a family home in Tijuana, Mexico, but that's dropped off his 2025 list. The point of the register of pecuniary interests is to provide transparency about MPs' financial interests and strengthen public trust and confidence in the parliamentary process and decision making. It lists a wide range of interests, including MPs' interests in businesses, gifts they have received, payments to them for participating in other activities, and any debts they have. For example, the register shows the Prime Minister was given two wristwatches (one at the Nato Summit and one from Thailand's Prime Minister), NZ First's Mark Patterson has interests in a Bitcoin Trust ETF through iShares, and National's Stuart Smith has interests in a very long list of businesses. A large number of MPs got corporate tickets to sporting events, concerts and hunting trips, as well as many helicopter rides. MPs' 'real property, interests (Jan 31, 2025) Steve Abel (Green, List) Family home (jointly owned) – West Auckland Hon Ginny Andersen (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Belmont, Lower Hutt, Wellington Miles Anderson (National, Waitaki) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (owned by Braehead Grange Trust) – Southburn Farmland (owned by Braehead Grange Trust) – Southburn Farmland (owned by Animal Scanning Services (NZ) Limited) – Southburn Jamie Arbuckle (NZ First, List) Family home (also used as short-term rental property; jointly owned) – Blenheim Apartment (jointly owned) – Wellington Carl Bates (National, Whanganui) Former family home (in trust) – Manawatū Rental property (in trust) – Whanganui Rental apartments (x2, in trust) – Wellington Family home – Whanganui Hon Andrew Bayly (National, Port Waikato) Family home (in trust) – Bombay, Auckland Farm (in trust) – Waikato Apartment (in trust) – Wellington Apartment (in trust) – Queenstown Commercial property (through Paparimu Land Limited) – Onehunga, Auckland Commercial property (in trust) – Pukekohe Camilla Belich (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Auckland Former family home (jointly owned leasehold property) – London, United Kingdom Family holiday home (discretionary beneficial interest; owned by The Belich Trust) – Waikanae Beach Glen Bennett (Labour, List) Residential property (jointly owned) – Marfell, New Plymouth Dan Bidois (National, Northcote) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (jointly owned) – Birkenhead, Auckland Hon Chris Bishop (National, Hutt South) Family home – Days Bay, Lower Hutt Rachel Boyack (Labour, Nelson) Family home (jointly owned) – Nelson Cameron Brewer (National, Upper Harbour) Family home (jointly owned) – Hobsonville Point, Auckland Hon Rachel Brooking (Labour, Dunedin) Family home (jointly owned) – Dunedin Residential property (in family trust) – Dunedin Hon Simeon Brown (National, Pakuranga) Family home (jointly owned) – Pakuranga Family property (jointly owned) – Pakuranga Rt Hon Gerry Brownlee (National, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Property – Havelock, Marlborough Residential property (x2) – Ilam, Christchurch Residential property – Fendalton, Christchurch Residential property – Wellington Mike Butterick (National, Wairarapa) Family home (owned by trust) – Masterton Farmland (owned by trust) – Masterton Mark Cameron (ACT, List) Farm (owned by trust) – Ruawai, Northland Farmland – Ruawai, Northland Dr Hamish Campbell (National, Ilam) Family home – Riccarton, Christchurch Kahurangi Carter (Green, List) Family home – Christchurch Dr Carlos Cheung (National, Mt Roskill) Family home (jointly owned) – Mount Roskill, Auckland Family home (jointly owned) – Thorndon, Wellington Rental property (jointly owned) – Epsom, Auckland Rental property (x3; jointly owned) – Mount Wellington, Auckland Rental property (jointly owned) – Sandringham, Auckland Hon Karen Chhour (ACT, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (jointly owned) – Auckland Hon Judith Collins (National, Papakura) Family home (owned by trusts) – Auckland Commercial and residential property (owned by superannuation scheme) – Wellington Residential property (owned by superannuation scheme) – Nelson Hon Casey Costello (NZ First, List) Family home – Pōkeno, Waikato Family home – Whangaruru, Northland Tim Costley (National, Ōtaki) Family home – Waikanae Rental property (x2) – Palmerston North Flat – Wellington Simon Court (ACT, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Waitakere, Auckland Family home (jointly owned) – Thorndon, Wellington Family home (P & S Court Trust) – Glenholme, Rotorua Family home (P & S Court Trust) – Whangaparāoa, Auckland Hon Marama Davidson (Green, List) Family home – Manurewa, Auckland Reuben Davidson (Labour, Christchurch East) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home – North Brighton Holiday home – Banks Peninsula Rental property – Christchurch Hon Matt Doocey (National, Waimakariri) Family home (owned by trust) – Rangiora, Waimakariri Residential property (owned by trust) – Merivale, Christchurch Rental property (owned by trust) – Burnside, Christchurch Benjamin Doyle (Green, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Waikato Hon Barbara Edmonds (Labour, Mana) Family home (jointly owned) – Porirua Family home (jointly owned) – Ōtāhuhu, Auckland Tākuta Ferris (Te Pāti Māori, Te Tai Tonga) Rental property (jointly owned) – Ōtaki Greg Fleming (National, Maungakiekie) Family home – Greenlane, Auckland Andy Foster (NZ First, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home – Wellington Paulo Garcia (National, New Lynn) Family home (jointly owned) – Parnell, Auckland Investment property – Wellington CBD, Wellington Hon Julie Anne Genter (Green, Rongotai) Family home (jointly owned) – Rongotai electorate Hon Paul Goldsmith (National, List) Family home (owned by family trust) – Remuera Apartment – Wellington House (half-share) – Waitakere Ranges Hon Nicola Grigg (National, Selwyn) Home – Prebbleton Rental property – Rolleston Shanan Halbert (Labour, List) Residential property (in trust) – Napier Ryan Hamilton (National, Hamilton East) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (owned by trust) – Hamilton Apartment (owned by trust) – Wellington Hon Peeni Henare (Labour, List) No recorded real property Francisco Hernandez (Green, List) No recorded real property Rt Hon Chris Hipkins (Labour, Remutaka) Family home – Upper Hutt, Wellington Residential property (owned by superannuation trust) – Raumati South, Paraparaumu Hon Andrew Hoggard (ACT, List) Family farm – Kiwitea, Manawatū Hon Willie Jackson (Labour, List) Family homes (x2; jointly owned) – Māngere Bridge, Auckland Family home (jointly owned) – Rotorua Apartment (jointly owned) – Wellington City Centre Hon Shane Jones (NZ First, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home – Bay of Islands House – Maimaru House – Hihi, Tai Tokerau Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (Te Pāti Māori, Te Tai Tokerau) Family home – Whangārei Family rental – Whangārei Takutai Tarsh Kemp (Te Pāti Māori, Tāmaki Makaurau) Family land block – Waitōtara Valley Dana Kirkpatrick (National, East Coast) Family home – Gisborne Apartment – Gisborne Barbara Kuriger (National, Taranaki-King Country) Family home (owned by L S & B J Kuriger Trusts Partnership) – New Plymouth Family home (owned by L S & B J Kuriger Trusts Partnership) – Te Awamutu Dairy farm (owned by Shortland Farm Limited Partnership) – Ōpunake Dairy farm (owned by Shortland Farm No 2 Limited Partnership) – Ōpunake Dairy farm grazing unit (joined leasehold interest) – Ōpunake Apartment (owned by L S & B J Kuriger Trusts Partnership) – Wellington Ingrid Leary (Labour, Taieri) Family home – Kew, Dunedin Rental property – South Dunedin Hon Melissa Lee (National, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home – Auckland Rental property (owned by superannuation scheme) – Wellington Nancy Lu (National, List) Rental property (x2) – Pakuranga, Auckland Rt Hon Christopher Luxon (National, Botany) Residential properties (x2) – Auckland Investment property – Auckland Cameron Luxton (ACT, List) Rental properties (x2; as beneficiary of trust) – Tauranga Commercial properties (x2; as beneficiary of trust) – Tauranga Hon Jo Luxton (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Hinds, Ashburton Holiday home (jointly owned) – Akaroa Hūhana Lyndon (Green, List) Family home – Tikipunga, Whangārei David MacLeod (National, New Plymouth) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Primary residence – New Plymouth Apartment – Wellington Holiday house – Kinloch Rental property – New Plymouth Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke (Te Pāti Māori, Hauraki-Waikato) Family home (in trust) – Beach Haven Family whenua (in trust) – Bay of Islands Jenny Marcroft (NZ First, List) Family residential section – Warkworth, Auckland Hon Kieran McAnulty (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Masterton Flat (jointly owned) – Lower Hutt Grant McCallum (National, Northland) Family home – Maungaturoto Hon Todd McClay (National, Rotorua) Private home – Rotorua Home – Belgium Private home – Pukehina Laura McClure (ACT, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (jointly owned) – Beckenham, Christchurch Family home (under construction) – Halswell, Christchurch Hon Nicole McKee (ACT, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Wellington Dr Tracey McLellan (Labour, List) Family home – Christchurch Rental property – Christchurch Hon James Meager (National, Rangitata) No recorded real property Ricardo Menéndez March (Green, List) No recorded real property Hon Mark Mitchell (National, Whangaparāoa) Family home – Millwater, Auckland Apartment – Thorndon, Wellington Rental property (residential) – Ōrewa, Auckland Family holiday home – Kūaotunu, Coromandel Family holiday home – Bali, Indonesia Joseph Mooney (National, Southland) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home – Central Otago Rima Nakhle (National, Takanini) Family home – South Auckland Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Te Pāti Māori, Te Tai Hauāuru) Kāinga (home) – Ohangai, Hāwera, South Taranaki Katie Nimon (National, Napier) Family home (jointly owned) – Marewa, Napier Rental property (x2; jointly owned) – Havelock North, Hastings Hon Damien O'Connor (Labour, List) Family home – Upper Moutere Greg O'Connor (Labour, Ōhāriu) Family home – Wellington Hon David Parker (Labour, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (half-share) – Auckland Holiday home (owned by trust) – Karitane, Otago Dr Parmjeet Parmar (ACT, List) Residential rental property – Remuera, Auckland Residential rental property – Half Moon Bay, Auckland Commercial property – Mount Wellington, Auckland Family home (owned by trust) – Eastern Beach, Auckland Residential rental town houses (x4) – Bucklands Beach, Auckland Hon Mark Patterson (NZ First, List) Family home – Dunedin Apartment – Wellington Tamatha Paul (Green, Wellington Central) No recorded real property Hon Chris Penk (National, Kaipara ki Mahurangi) Family home (owned by The Barkley Trust) – Waitakere, Auckland Rt Hon Winston Peters (NZ First, List) House – St Marys Bay, Auckland House – Whananaki South, Northland Land – Whananaki South, Northland Lan Pham (Green, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (owned by Ngoc-Lan Pham Partnership) – Wellington Hon Tama Potaka (National, Hamilton West) Rental property (jointly owned) – Central-East Auckland Family home – Hamilton Family farm and houses (in Tatau Tatau Trust) – Rangitīkei Rental property (in Tama and Ariana whānau trust) – Hamilton Hon Willow-Jean Prime (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Pakaraka, Northland Maureen Pugh (National, West Coast-Tasman) Family home – Turiwhate Farm – Turiwhate Timeshare – Toormina, New South Wales, Australia Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Onehunga, Auckland Suze Redmayne (National, Rangitīkei) Farm (owned by trust) – Turakina Family home (owned by trust) – Taupō Apartment (jointly owned with trust) – Auckland Hon Dr Shane Reti (National, Whangārei) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Residential property – Whangārei Commercial building (in Shane Reti Blind Trust) – Whangārei Rental property (in Shane Reti Blind Trust) – Kohimarama Residential property (in Shane Reti Blind Trust) – Whangārei Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Whangaehu Interests in 26 Māori land blocks – Aotea District Interests in one Māori land block – Tai Tokerau District Interests in two Māori land blocks – Tākitimu District Interests in 11 Māori land blocks – Waipounamu District Interests in Waipū general land block – Rātana Paa Hon Dr Deborah Russell (Labour, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Titirangi, Auckland House (jointly owned) – Karori, Wellington Tom Rutherford (National, Bay of Plenty) Family home – Pāpāmoa, Tauranga Hon Jenny Salesa (Labour, Panmure-Ōtāhuhu) Family home (jointly owned) – Auckland Rental property (owned by Praescient Limited) – Auckland Apartment (jointly owned by Kaha'u Superannuation Fund) – Auckland Apartment (jointly owned by Kaha'u Superannuation Fund) – Wellington Two acres of land, no dwellings (99-year lease) – Haveluloto, Tonga Hon Carmel Sepuloni (Labour, Kelston) Family home – Titirangi, Auckland Hon David Seymour (ACT, Epsom) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Residential home (as discretionary beneficiary of trust) – Whangārei Holiday home (as discretionary beneficiary of trust) – Northland Section (as discretionary beneficiary of trust) – Whangārei Residential home (as beneficiary of trust) – Auckland Hon Penny Simmonds (National, Invercargill) Family home and farm (jointly owned) – Mabel Bush, Southland Farm (jointly owned) – Ryal Bush, Southland Family cribs (x3; owned by family trust) – Riverton, Southland Rental property (owned by family trust) – Invercargill Hon Scott Simpson (National, Coromandel) Land (owned by New Chums Trust) – Whangapoua, Coromandel Family home – Thames Rental property – Remuera, Auckland Family home – Kūaotunu, Coromandel Stuart Smith (National, Kaikōura) Family home (owned by Tayler-Smith Family Trust) – Dry Hills, Blenheim Apartment (owned by Tayler-Smith Family Trust) – Thorndon, Wellington Timeshare week (owned by Tayler-Smith Family Trust) – Queenstown Mews Rental property (owned by Tayler-Smith Family Trust) – Redwood, Blenheim Apartment (half-share owned by Tayler-Smith Family Trust) – Frankton, Queenstown Lemauga Lydia Sosene (Labour, Māngere) Family home (jointly owned) – Favona, Auckland Hon Erica Stanford (National, East Coast Bays) Family home – Ōkura Residential property, holiday home (owned by family trust) – Whangamatā Todd Stephenson (ACT, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (jointly owned) – Queenstown Apartments (x2; jointly owned) – Wellington Apartment (jointly owned) – Sydney, Australia Apartment (jointly owned) – Geelong, Australia Apartment (held in trust) – Wellington Rental property (held in trust) – Te Ānau Chlöe Swarbrick (Green, Auckland Central) Apartment (jointly owned) – Auckland Central Cushla Tangaere-Manuel (Labour, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) Family home – East Coast Interest in one land block – Rangitukia, East Coast Hon Jan Tinetti (Labour, List) Family home – Mātua, Tauranga Apartment – Wellington Central Teanau Tuiono (Green, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Manawatū Whānau home – Manurewa Hon Phil Twyford (Labour, Te Atatū) Family home (owned by family trust) – Te Atatū Peninsula Sam Uffindell (National, Tauranga) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (owned by trust) – Paengaroa Tanya Unkovich (NZ First, List) No recorded real property Hon Louise Upston (National, Taupō) Family home (jointly owned) – Cambridge Apartment (jointly owned) – Wellington Tangi Utikere (Labour, Palmerston North) Family home (jointly owned) – Palmerston North Tim van de Molen (National, Waikato) Horticultural property (owned by Caritim Limited) – Tamahere, Waikato Residential houses (x2; owned by van de Molen Family Trust) – Tamahere, Waikato Hon Brooke van Velden (ACT, Tāmaki) Family home – Auckland Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall (Labour, List) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (jointly owned) – Wellington Family property (jointly owned) – Malé, Maldives Celia Wade-Brown (Green, List) Family home and native forest – Wairarapa Rental property – Island Bay, Wellington Rawiri Waititi (Te Pāti Māori, Waiariki) Family home (jointly owned) – Whakatāne, Eastern Bay of Plenty Hon Simon Watts (National, North Shore) Family home (owned by trust) – North Shore Residential section (owned by trust) – Cambridge Commercial property (owned by trust) – Cambridge Holiday home (owned by trust) – Waihi Beach Hon Dr Duncan Webb (Labour, Christchurch Central) Family home (owned by trust) – Christchurch Share in family home (owned by trust) – Wellington Catherine Wedd (National, Tukituki) Family home (jointly owned) – Havelock North Apartment – Wellington Dr Vanessa Weenink (National, Banks Peninsula) Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Family home (x2; jointly owned) – Christchurch Apartment – Wellington Helen White (Labour, Mt Albert) Home (owned by Puriri Trust) – Sandringham, Auckland Arena Williams (Labour, Manurewa) Family home (jointly owned) – Manurewa, Auckland Family home (jointly owned) – Te Aro, Wellington Hon Nicola Willis (National, List) House (jointly owned) – Karori, Wellington House (owned by Appledore Trust) – Kelburn, Wellington House (owned by Appledore Trust) – Riversdale, Wairarapa House (owned by Appledore Trust) – Wānaka Scott Willis (Green, List) Family home (jointly owned) – Waitati, Dunedin Hon Dr Megan Woods (Labour, Wigram) House – Hillmorton, Christchurch Home (jointly owned) – Hillmorton, Christchurch Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan (Green, List)
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Netherlands will undertake huge security operation during Nato summit
Patriot missiles and antidrone defences will be deployed to protect the physical airspace above the Netherlands, while its security services guard against a potential barrage of cyberattacks, during the Nato summit in The Hague at the end of June. Although German magazine Der Spiegel suggested recently that Donald Trump might refuse to attend unless alliance members agreed to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, the summit's organisers say they are working on the basis that the US president will be there. In a preview of the largest logistical operation ever mounted by the country during peacetime, the policing lead, Willem Woelders, said 27,000 police offers and 5,000 soldiers would be on duty over the two days – protecting 45 heads of state, their senior ministers and delegations. Three key locations will be focus of the security: the World Forum convention centre, where the summit will be held; Huis ten Bosch, the palatial residence of King Willem-Alexander, where the leaders will have dinner; and Huis ter Duin hotel, where Mr Trump is scheduled to stay. READ MORE There will be patrols over the city and along the coast by F35 fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters, Mr Woelders said, with an air exclusion zone operating along a 22km stretch of coast from the Hook of Holland to Noordwijk, where the president's hotel is located. [ 'I'm not going to defend them': Trump warns Nato members lagging on defence spending Opens in new window ] The Huis ter Duin hotel is also where then US president Barack Obama stayed during his 2014 visit for a nuclear security summit hosted by former prime minister Mark Rutte, who became Nato secretary general last October. Two runways at Schiphol will be closed during the summit on June 24th and 25th, and aircraft using the airport will be banned from flying within 16km of The Hague, the seat of the Dutch parliament. Special forces teams will be on 24-hour standby. Such was the scale of the deployment, Mr Woelders said, that neighbouring countries including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, would have substantial security input. 'We can never be completely open about security, but we are preparing for cyberattacks, for espionage in the form of targeted disinformation, as well as for social unrest', said Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the national counterterrorism co-ordinator. In a bid to ensure the attendance of Mr Trump in June, Mr Rutte has suggested that Nato member states boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and commit a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related spending to meet the president's 5 per cent demand. That compromise could allow Mr Trump to declare a win in The Hague in June – while not committing European countries or Canada to a 5 per cent increase in core military spending that many see as politically and economically unsaleable domestically.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Europe's rearmament is moving fast – it must not overlook these three vital areas
The second Trump administration has seen an aggressive restoration of 'big stick' foreign policy. In just two months, Trump has already sparked trade wars with Canada, Mexico and the EU, threatened to annex Greenland and pull the US out of NATO, opened negotiations with Russia to reach a cease-fire in Ukraine, and suspended military aid to Kyiv. Understandably, this posture is cause for alarm across European states, who have now made continent-wide rearmament a top priority. On 4th March the European Commission launched the ReArm Europe Plan, a revolutionary package of measures that aims to boost EU defence spending by €800 billion over a period of four years. On March 14 Germany's conservative Chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, also secured support to reform the country's constitutional debt brake, paving the way for a breakthrough spending plan of up to €1 trillion in defence and infrastructure projects. 'Germany is back', he declared, in a moment that marked the end of over two decades of strict fiscal conservatism. While decisive moves are being made across the continent, Europe's policymakers and public opinion alike seem to have been caught by surprise. Public debate is largely being driven by emotional considerations, and policy decisions are dominated by short-term thinking and a lack of strategic planning. With much of the media's attention focused on purchasing arms and munitions, several crucial elements are missing from the discussion on strengthening Europe's defence. We can categorise these into three key areas. EU member states, as well as Nato allies other than the US, will have to increase their manpower by recruiting massive numbers of new soldiers to offset a declining US military presence in, and commitment towards, Europe. But how many troops does Europe need to protect itself, defend Ukraine, and deter further Russian aggression? A recent report says somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 – roughly the same size of the new Nato Force Model approved at the 2022 Nato Summit in Madrid. There is also the intensely complex question of where these new troops will come from. Converting smaller national armies into a larger combat force is anything but easy, especially in political and social terms. Certain fundamental quandaries will have to be addressed, such as who a European defence force would ultimately answer to, or what would happen if a European defence decision clashed with domestic politics. Leer más: European states will have to invest in nuclear, as well as conventional, deterrence. French President Emmanuel Macron has recently suggested extending France's nuclear umbrella to cover its EU partners. However, doubts remain about whether the existing 'force de frappe' is enough to protect against Russia's far larger arsenal. By the same token, the UK is reconsidering the role of its Trident submarine-launched nuclear missiles, though it is an outdated system, and very much dependant on the US. Disagreements on nuclear force are already becoming clear – Poland's President, Andrzej Duda, recently called for the US to station nuclear weapons on Polish soil. This may sound reasonable, since Warsaw is Nato's largest military spender in relation to GDP, but outsourcing Europe's defence to Washington undermines the fundamental goal of rearming Europe. Leer más: Logistics and procurement present a huge obstacle. On March 18, the EU Commission presented the brand new 'White Paper on the Future of European Defence'. This is a set of guidelines on how to boost production and military readiness, and develop a true European single market for defence in a number of key capability projects through collaborative procurement and large-scale pan-European defence projects. Under the current circumstances, raising efficiency and avoiding pointless duplication is crucial. According to EUISS expert Giuseppe Spatafora, 'the EU should propose to use the new funding instruments to develop European-wide enablers that are necessary to deter or successfully fight Russia without the US'. This refers to, among other things, battlefield command and control (C2), long-range strikes and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), and intelligence systems. Leer más: For EU member states – along with like-minded partners such as Canada, Norway, Turkey, and the UK – rearmament cannot be delayed any longer. The unsettling revisionism of the Trump administration is an existential wake-up call for Europe to progress towards a much more integrated Union. This requires deliberation, vision, and leadership. Opportunities always come with risks, and these can, again, be grouped into three categories. The first is public support for rearmament. While many polls show that Europeans are increasingly in favour of becoming more autonomous from the US, this conflicts with their views on the instruments, costs and aims of a more independent European defence. These are some of the conclusions of the Next Generation Security report, led by myself and recently published by IE University. When it comes to defence, younger generations in Western Europe are characterised by a lack of information, clashing priorities, and a general reluctance to pay the greater costs of sustaining a European army. Serving in the army, or picking up arms in the case of a future armed conflict, doesn't seem to be an option at all for most members of Generation Z. The second risk is related to Europe's persistently fragmented defence industry. Over 70% of defence acquisitions by EU member states between February 2022 and June 2023 were made from outside the EU, chiefly from the US. Europe cannot switch off its dependencies on the US straightaway, but it can take smart measures to minimise its lack of strategic autonomy. Specifically, it needs to encourage a higher level of investment, and more private-public joint ventures and co-productions in the industry and technology. The third risk is the lack of a coherent strategic framework for managing Europe's rearmament. As things currently stand there are two possible options: a strengthened European pillar inside Nato, or a Nato caucus (without the US) connected to the EU. Right now, it is unclear which formula would work best. However, what is clear is that ReArm Europe leaves EU member states a substantial degree of power to decide on the format, purpose, and size of their rearmament. While such a provision may alleviate concerns in some national governments about over-centralisation from the EU Commission, it runs the risk of continuing the 'do-it-your-own-way' attitude of European defence. This may hamper its efficiency, and frustrate expectations. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos académicos. Lee mas: Being soft on Russia has never worked, and history proves it Thirty years ago Ukraine got rid of its nuclear arsenal – now some people regret that decision French nuclear deterrence for Europe: how effective could it be against Russia? Michele Testoni no recibe salario, ni ejerce labores de consultoría, ni posee acciones, ni recibe financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y ha declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del cargo académico citado.
