(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday emphasized that the European Union must evolve into a European defense union to address growing international security threats.

Speaking at the Suddeutsche Zeitung Business Summit, Merz stressed that Europe needs to take decisive steps in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, shifts in Euro-Atlantic relations, and China’s increasingly assertive global posture.

“It’s a necessity to transform this European Union into a European defense union. We face international challenges that we as Europeans must address together—with the ability to defend ourselves,” Merz said, underscoring the urgency of collective European action.

He added that Germany, as the EU’s largest economy and most populous member state, carries a heightened responsibility to provide leadership within the bloc. “As the strongest economy and most populous country in this European Union, we bear a far greater responsibility than anyone else to assume a degree of leadership within this European Union.

But that remains an empty phrase if it is not filled with substance,” he said, calling for concrete steps to turn rhetoric into tangible policy.

Merz’s remarks reflect a growing discourse among EU leaders on strengthening defense cooperation in the face of mounting global tensions and regional conflicts, highlighting the need for the bloc to be better prepared to safeguard its security and interests.

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