German president: Europe must develop deterrence amid 'epochal shift'

Speaking at the second Westphalian Peace Conference summit in the western German city of Münster, Frank-Walter Steinmeier referred to the dual disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the new tariff policy outlined this week by US President Donald Trump.

"We Europeans must now focus on what is important to us. And we must take greater care of our own protection," said the German president.

The €326 billion ($359 billion) invested by European Union member states in defence every year is not enough considering a radically transformed threat level, Steinmeier argued.

The 69-year-old welcomed a recent vote in the German parliament that amended constitutional rules on borrowing to allow a massive increase in spending on defence.

Europe needs German armed forces that can credibly contribute to deterrence with state-of-the-art equipment and greater manpower, Steinmeier argued.

While he said it was wrong to "prematurely declare the NATO defence alliance dead," he added that decisive steps towards a common European defence are necessary.

Steinmeier also called for an active foreign policy to counter autocratic leaders.

Europe should not "underestimate itself" or play a "marginal role at the children's table on the global stage," the president added.

Reacting to Trump's tariff announcement, Steinmeier said the US leader had attacked "the rules and principles of our trans-Atlantic partnership and our Western community of values."

The summit in Münster brought together several hundred participants to discuss key themes of global security, with this year's edition - two years after the first one in 2023 - focusing on the changing global order.