A fresh phase of military cooperation in Europe. Ministers of Defence of Poland, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom signed in Krakow a commitment to drones and joint arms production. This is simply a signal that Europe is not only declaring solidarity, but is besides investing in the deterrence and safety of the Euro-Atlantic region.
W The gathering of the defence ministers of the E5 Group – Poland, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom was held. The historical walls of Collegium Maius confirmed Europe's unity against safety threats and signed a declaration of strategical cooperation in the Low-Cost Effects and Independent Platforms (LEAP), thus focusing on interoperability within NATO and the EU. The initiative assumes the improvement of modern, scalable and cost-effective weapon systems.
– We have signed a very crucial commitment for the joint improvement of firing capacity utilizing drones, low-cost joint production and joint purchases of effectors, i.e. combat loads. Technologies and fighting techniques are changing rapidly, so we request to respond rapidly and appropriately," said Deputy Prime Minister, National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a press conference after the meeting.
The talks were besides attended by representatives of key global institutions: advanced typical of the European Union for abroad Affairs and safety Policy Kaja Kallas, Deputy Secretary General of NATO Radmila Shekerinska, as well as Minister of Defence of Ukraine Mikhail Fedov, who joined the session in the videoconferencing formula.
Head of MON: Europe is awake
During the meeting, ministers confirmed their willingness to deepen cooperation within the E5 format. “As this group, we are giving directions to both NATO and the European Union,” said MON head Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and pointed to common priorities in terms of operational capacity and investment in the arms industry. Europe's awake. Europe takes on more work – he added and thanked partners for their commitment.
Ministers besides confirmed their willingness to implement the commitments made in The Hague, including achieving a level of 5% of defence spending, and developing the capabilities of the armed forces under NATO programmes and national deterrence systems. “We share work for security. We proceed our mission collectively and make our defence capabilities. In Krakow, I want to emphasize the importance of the anticipation of utilizing Polish infrastructure, including in Rzeszów, which is simply a key logistics hub utilized by allied states to support Ukraine," said French Minister Catherine Vautrin. She added that there is simply a request to strengthen the European safety dimension, peculiarly in view of the next NATO summit in Ankara.
British Deputy Defence Minister Luke Pollard mentioned the launch of a low-cost manufacturing initiative for selected weapons. We want to fight drones effectively. We request to adjust the cost of the countermeasure to the nature of the threat. We commit to long-term cooperation to guarantee that technologies are efficient and able to be produced within 12 months - announced the policy.
Radmila Shekerinska, Deputy Secretary-General of NATO, has besides stressed the Alliance's willingness to respond rapidly and effectively to any threats. “Our strength lies in the Alliance and in joint action,” Shekerinska pointed out. She besides pointed out that 1 of the most crucial topics of the talks was the support of Ukraine – in military, political and industrial terms – as a condition for building lasting and just peace in Europe. The Russian army hoped to win in 3 days. Meanwhile, she suffered immense losses – only in January she lost about 30,000 soldiers. We must stand by Ukraine and prevent future aggression," she added.
Poland leader in spending growth and expansion of the army
The head of the MON indicated that in fresh years Poland has become the leader of the increase in defence spending in Europe. – We build an army of 500,000 soldiers. It includes operating troops, territorial defence troops and a reserve of advanced readiness, which are to number about 200 000 soldiers," he said.
As he added, 2026 is in the Polish armed forces dedicated building the possible of reserveists, including changes in the training system. "This is simply a very ambitious project, building the resilience of NATO's east flank," he noted.
Kosiniak-Kamysz besides pointed to the improvement of the “arm of drones” and investments in drone systems. He reminded that Poland is the largest European beneficiary SAFE program, which can make up to €44 billion. – We want to make a qualitative leap over the next 2 to 3 years, especially in the area of drone systems and precise long-term destruction. These are the 2 biggest challenges present – he said.
Group E5: Europe's strongest military players
The gathering in Krakow was the seventh gathering of the E5 Group from 2024. This informal model of cooperation is based on the responsibility, determination and real strengthening of Europe's security, allowing fast reconciliation of common positions among the countries most active in defence issues.
Krakow talks have shown that Group E5 is not limited to declaring solidarity – the states consistently invest in the improvement of modern defence capabilities and joint military production. As highlighted by participants, these actions are intended to strengthen safety and effectively deter possible aggressors.
The gathering besides confirmed Poland's increasing function as 1 of the key countries shaping the debate on Europe's security, especially in the face of ongoing threats in the Euro-Atlantic region.
