As rhetoric continues, are NATO-EU defence differences too great to be resolved?
With the EU looking to move ever-closer towards the creation of its own de facto military alliance, the role of NATO in European security has been consistently questioned amid internal disputes and a shift in balance of power in light of Brexit.
The UK has reiterated its support for NATO as being the bedrock of Europe’s defence and security needs, with one minister stating that European countries ‘would feel a chill wind’ without a US contribution to the alliance.
Providing evidence to the House of Lords’ EU Security and Justice Sub-Committee on 1 December on the future of UK-EU defence cooperation, Baroness Annabel Goldie, Minister of State at the MoD, stated that 80% of defence investment into NATO now comes from non-EU members.
Goldie told the committee that NATO would ‘continue to be the dominant presence’ in European security, adding that while
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Milrem Robotics puts forward multi-layered defence concept for NATO's eastern flank]()
Eurosatory 2026: Milrem Robotics puts forward multi-layered defence concept for NATO's eastern flank
Autonomous systems developer Milrem has evolved a model for an interoperable robotised approach to the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI), showing how uncrewed systems could provide a multi-layered defence architecture in the air and on land along NATO’s eastern borders.
-
![Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP]()
Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP
The UK defence secretary’s departure suggests that the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan is unlikely to meet the funding demands of the armed forces, with consequences for procurement and the UK’s standing at a NATO summit weeks away.
-
![Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade]()
Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade
Today's rapidly changing security landscape means that armed forces can no longer treat their data in the same way as in the past. What are the key challenges they face, and how can industry help them?
-
![US lawmakers prepare a historic investment in stockpile replenishment in FY2027]()
US lawmakers prepare a historic investment in stockpile replenishment in FY2027
The House Armed Services Committee recently released the Chairman’s NDAA FY2027 markup, which supports the Pentagon’s request for nearly $90 billion for long-range missiles, air defence interceptors, precision-guided munitions and industrial baseline items.
