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ARCHIVE – A Turkish flag flutters in the wind against a blue sky, while a second flag hangs rolled up next to it. Photo: Anna Ross/dpa
Keystone
Two weeks before the NATO summit in Turkey, the heads of state and government of five powerful European member states are coordinating their positions in Berlin.
The meeting, held at the invitation of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), will focus on continued support for Ukraine, the role of Europeans in resolving the Iran conflict, and burden-sharing among NATO member states.
This is the first summit of the so-called E5 since the last NATO summit in June 2025 in The Hague. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also present at that 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 Eastern European states.
However, diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine have so far been driven by a smaller group, the E3, on behalf of the Europeans. It consists only of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, a fact that has drawn criticism from Italy and Poland. This is likely to be a topic of discussion in Berlin.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk insists that Poland be included 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 on matters concerning Ukraine has been a point of contention for some time. At the EU summit in Brussels last week, EU Council President António Costa caused a stir because his team had made contact with Russia without prior consultation. He received support for this from some EU member states, such as Ireland and Austria. The German delegation, however, viewed the initiative as an affront to the E3.
Alongside Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer—who has announced his resignation—will also travel to Berlin.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will join the meeting via video link from Washington, where he will subsequently meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. expects Europeans to do more to defend the alliance. At the same time, it is angered by what it sees as a lack of support from its allies in the war against Iran, which the U.S. began in February alongside Israel.
Countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and Germany want to compensate for this by providing minehunters and warships—should a ceasefire hold—to ensure greater security in the crucial strait between Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz.
Before his meeting with Trump, Rutte tried to smooth things over. “As far as NATO is concerned, I know there is disappointment, but we should also bear in mind that these are isolated cases,” he told the U.S. network Fox News.
24.06.2026, 05:05
