There was no horse-drawn carriage ride or banquet at Windsor Castle, as during last week’s state visit of President Emmanuel Macron of France. But when Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a landmark defense treaty on Thursday, it added another layer to a portrait of Europe uniting against foreign threats. The accord is further evidence of how European leaders are pulling together to confront a landscape scrambled by President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and President Vladimir V. Putin’s relentless assault on Ukraine. In addition to defense and security, the treaty covers energy, economic cooperation and migration. It builds on an agreement signed last October, under which the countries agreed to conduct joint military exercises and develop sophisticated weapons.

Source: The Times July 17, 2025 14:33 UTC