Europe Gathers Against a Common Enemy, America

27 European leaders set in motion the means to begin building nation-state armies and a potential EU army. This is in response to President Donald Trump’s recent declarations that essentially tell Europe it’s time to take on your own defenses. The move, though, is mixed with more than just self-reliance, but rather, portends the end of the American-led alliance.

The meeting lifted budget restrictions to increase defense budgets and even included a French commitment to protect Europe with its nuclear arsenal. It failed, however, to deliver to Ukraine a replacement for the loss of the support America had previously been providing.  The Germans were quick to follow up the meeting with an agreement to dramatically increase their military budget. Ukraine’s ambassador revealed the underlying hostility of the new direction, accusing the U.S. of “destroying” the world order.

The division between Europe’s approach to freedom of speech and America’s is only highlighting the growing tensions between them. Elon Musk’s X recent decision to refuse a UK order to turn over private data in their pursuit of arresting protestors exposes the breech between the two civilizations, Western Europe and the new America in the age of MAGA.

EU leaders back new military spending plans at Ukraine summit – AP News
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European Union leaders on Thursday committed to a massive step in defense cooperation following decades of hesitation, spurred on by President Donald Trump’s repeated warnings that he would cut them adrift to face the threat of Russia without the overwhelming U.S. military might.

The 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, to explore new ways to facilitate significant defense spending in all member states, a statement said.

Here’s what to know:

• Zelenskyy says Ukraine and U.S. have resumed working together: The Ukrainian president said in his nightly address that talks between Ukraine and the US on ending the war will take place in Saudi Arabia next week.
• EU can’t reach consensus on backing Ukraine: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a staunch supporter of Trump and considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Europe, refused to endorse part of the summit statement in favor of Ukraine. But all 26 other EU leaders approved the bloc’s stance that there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine and that the Europeans must be involved in any talks involving their security.
• France’s nuclear arsenal is in the spotlight: On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to open a “strategic debate” on using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect European allies, a move Moscow quickly dismissed as “extremely confrontational.” At the summit, several eastern European nations said they welcomed Macron’s move.

German parties agree historic debt overhaul to revamp military and economy – Reuters
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The parties hoping to form Germany’s next government on Tuesday agreed to create a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund and overhaul borrowing rules in a tectonic spending shift to revamp the military and revive growth in Europe’s largest economy.

Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD), who are in negotiations to form a coalition after a national election last month, will put their proposals to the German parliament next week.

Germany’s likely next chancellor, Merz, has seized the moment after the return of Donald Trump to the White House put the transatlantic alliance in turmoil and underlined the urgency for Europe to strengthen its own defences.

Trump froze military aid to Ukraine after a bitter clash last week with its President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, reinforcing fears he could strike a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine while disengaging from Europe.

Economists and investors have urged Germany to reform its constitutionally enshrined state borrowing limits – known as the “debt brake” – in order to free up investment and support an economy that has contracted for the past two years.

EU leaders open emergency talks on defense and Ukraine aid as US support wanes– abcnews.go.com
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BRUSSELS — Facing the possibility of a fundamental disengagement under U.S. President Donald Trump, European Union leaders opened a day of emergency summit talks Thursday to beef up their own military defenses and make sure that Ukraine will still be properly protected by its allies….

It all underscored the sea change that has happened in the two months since Trump took office and immediately started questioning the cornerstones of cooperation between the United States and Europe which had been the bedrock of Western security since World War II.

“Given these profound shifts in US policy, and the existential threat of another war on the continent, Europe, must manage its essential defence tasks,” the European Policy Center think tank said in a commentary.

The bloc of 27 will “take decisive steps forward,” Macron told the French nation Wednesday evening. “Member states will be able to increase their military spending” and “massive joint funding will be provided to buy and produce some of the most innovative munitions, tanks, weapons and equipment in Europe.”

Adding to the ebullient message he said that “Europe’s future does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to the uk says the US is “destroying” world order– BBC
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Elon Musk DEFENDS free speech for hundreds of Britons as it’s revealed he REFUSED to hand over account details to police amid Southport unrest – GB News
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Elon Musk’s social media platform refused to hand the account details of hundreds of British people to police during and after last summer’s unrest.

New figures published by X showed that Musk’s firm turned down over half of UK Government information requests in the second half of 2024, The Telegraph revealed on Friday.

X said it shared user information in 379 out of 806 cases, a disclosure rate of 47 per cent – significantly lower than those of other firms like Google, Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Musk’s figures cover requests from police and other official bodies and can include data including email and internet addresses or even private messages.

Starmer praises sacrifice of British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in oblique rebuke to Vance– abcnews.go.com
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LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday praised the hundreds of British troops who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq “alongside our allies,” in an oblique rebuke of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who has questioned the merits of a potential European peacekeeping force in Ukraine following the signing of any peace agreement between the country and Russia.

In his opening remarks before the start of a weekly parliamentary question session, Starmer specifically paid tribute to six British soldiers who died on patrol in Afghanistan when their vehicle was struck by an explosive. Thursday marks the 13-year anniversary of their deaths.

“These men fought and died for their country, our country,” Starmer told the House of Commons. “And across the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 642 individuals died fighting for Britain alongside our allies, many more were wounded.”

Without directly referencing Vance, the prime minister said he and all lawmakers will “never forget their bravery and their sacrifice.”