The NATO summit in Turkey begins in two weeks.Image: keystone
June 24, 2026, 05:33June 24, 2026, 05:33
Two weeks before the NATO summit in Turkey, the heads of state and government of five powerful European member states are meeting in Berlin. The meeting at the invitation of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will focus on further support for Ukraine, the role of the Europeans in resolving the Iran conflict and the distribution of burdens between the NATO states.
It is the first top meeting of the so-called E5 since the last NATO summit in June 2025 in The Hague. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was also there at the time. The group consists of the four European G7 countries and Poland, which borders Russia and sees itself as a representative of the interests of the Eastern European states.
E3 or E5?
The diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war have so far been driven by a smaller group, the E3, on behalf of the Europeans. Only Germany, France and Great Britain belong to it, which has met with criticism from Italy and Poland. This is likely to be an issue in Berlin.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk insists that Poland is at the table. “Poland is an absolutely indispensable link for serious discussions about the future of Ukraine and the region,” he said two weeks ago, according to the PAP news agency.
Who speaks for Europe when it comes to Ukraine has been a topic of debate for some time. At the EU summit in Brussels last week, EU Council President António Costa caused a stir because his team had made unsolicited contact with Russia. He received support for this from some EU states such as Ireland and Austria. The German delegation, however, saw the initiative as an affront to the E3.
Starmer there despite his resignation
In addition to Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has announced his resignation, is also traveling to Berlin.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will be connected from Washington, where he will then meet with US President Donald Trump. The USA expects the Europeans to do more to defend the alliance. At the same time, they are angry about what they see as a lack of support from their allies in the Iran war, which the US started on Israel’s side in February.
Countries such as France, Great Britain and Germany want to compensate for this by using minehunters and warships to ensure greater security in the important strait between Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, during a continued ceasefire.
Rutte tries to appease
Rutte tried to smooth things over before his meeting with Trump. “As far as NATO is concerned, I know there is disappointment, but we should also remember that these are isolated cases,” he told US broadcaster Fox News. (sda/dpa)