France and Germany pledge to enhance cooperation in the field of defense

French President Emmanuel Macron and the new German adviser Friedrich Mertz pledged on Wednesday to enhance cooperation in the field of defense, during the German leader’s visit to Paris on his first trip abroad.
Europe is seeking to strengthen its defenses under the Ukrainian war and the doubts surrounding the US security obligations towards Europe during the era of President Donald Trump.

Joint defense

“We will establish a French -German defensive and security council that meets regularly in order to reach practical responses to our joint strategic challenges,” Macron said at a joint press conference.
“We will take joint measures to further enhance the security and defensive capabilities of Europe,” Mertz said, before heading to Poland later on Wednesday.
France and Britain are leading discussions between the “coalition of wishing countries” consisting of 30 countries regarding the deployment of forces in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine.