LONDON, Oct. 28, 2026 —
The defense ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, a group that calls itself the E5, issued a joint statement saying "Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security," according to the statement published by the U.K. government on Oct. 26.
What the ministers said
- On Russia. The five countries "share the assessment that Russia represents the most acute and long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and stability," citing the war against Ukraine, violations of allied airspace, sabotage and what they call "multi-domain hybrid attacks."
- On the United States. "The United States is and will remain an indispensable Ally, and continued United States engagement in European security is essential to a strong and credible NATO," the statement says.
- On NATO. The ministers call NATO "the cornerstone of our collective security" and say they will "assume greater political and military leadership within the Alliance," including closer cooperation among their defense industries.
- On the European Union. They say EU defense efforts "should complement NATO, avoid duplication" and remain open, under certain conditions, to cooperation with NATO allies outside the EU.
- On Ukraine. The ministers say they will keep supporting Ukraine "politically, militarily and financially," continue acting against Russia's "shadow fleet" of ships in line with international law, and that a coalition of countries will contribute security guarantees "once a cease-fire or a peace agreement is in place."
The statement doesn't announce specific new spending figures or troop deployments.
Those are the facts, directly from the source.
Source: E5 Defence Ministers' Statement, Oct. 26, 2026, published by the U.K. Ministry of Defence on GOV.UK.
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