FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – President Nikos Christodoulides emphasized the importance of strengthening the European Union’s defense during a briefing on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Summit of the European Council last night.
Christodoulides highlighted the EU’s past dependencies on third countries for defense, security, energy, and raw materials, and the necessity of achieving strategic autonomy.
“I consider the discussion taking place regarding the strengthening of the defense of the European Union to be particularly important. It is a discussion that should have been held a long time ago,” he said.
Christodoulides underscored that the ongoing discussions, influenced by developments in Ukraine and the new American administration’s approach, aim to attain EU strategic autonomy.
He also stressed the need for investments in the European defense industry and cooperation with NATO.
Christodoulides further supported the Commission’s proposal to exclude defense spending from public debt and highlighted the threats to EU security beyond the Russian Federation, extending to other regions, including the Middle East.
“I am glad that there was a position from a significant number of member states on the need to give particular importance, more broadly, to the Middle East, and to our own interventions with the Greek Prime Minister in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he concluded.
The EU summit held last night in Brussels focused on two main topics: continued support for Ukraine and strengthening European defense.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the summit, where he thanked EU leaders for their support amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. The summit addressed the need for the EU to become more self-reliant in defense and security, especially in light of the United States’ shifting stance on military aid and intelligence sharing.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled an $841 billion “ReArm Europe” plan to boost defense spending across EU member states.
The plan aims to enhance the continent’s defense capabilities and ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine. Leaders also discussed the importance of cooperation with NATO and the potential extension of France’s nuclear deterrent to European partners.