defense spending

Is Europe in trouble as the US pulls away?

Is Europe in trouble as the US pulls away?

Trump is reshaping America’s relationship with Europe, which has been “impacted in a permanent and structural way,” says Ian Bremmer. In this Quick Take, Ian explains what that shift means for the future of the transatlantic alliance—and for Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on March 17, 2025.

What We're Watching

France’s Macron calls on Europe to stop buying American military equipment

Amid Europe’s growing rift with President Donald Trump, a French lawmaker this weekend called on the United States to “give us back the Statue of Liberty” now that Americans “have chosen to side with the tyrants.” But French President Emmanuel Macron came out with a more concrete plan to split with Washington: He's urging allies to buy European missile systems, not American ones.

German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz

What We're Watching

Germany drops debt brake, passes preliminary agreement to boost defense, infrastructure, and climate spending

Germany’s election-winning center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, led by Friedrich Merz, and the Social Democrats have reached a preliminary agreement with the Green Party on a deal to exclude defense spending from the country’s constitutional debt break and establish a dedicated $545 billion fund for infrastructure investments.

Does Canada need to prepare for a US attack?

Does Canada need to prepare for a US attack?

Canada has begun thinking the unthinkable: how to defend against a US attack. It suddenly realizes — far too late – that the 2% GDP goal on defense spending is no longer aspirational but urgent. But what kind of military does it need? To find out, GZERO Publisher Evan Solomon spoke with retired Vice Admiral Mark Norman, the former vice chief of defense staff in Canada and currently a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.