Europe
Macron’s Struggle Has Europe Fretting Over Defense, Ukraine
- Early elections cast uncertainty over joint military spending
- The turmoil may also jeopardize support push for Kyiv
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France’s political turmoil is causing concern in some European Union capitals that initiatives like joint military spending and a fresh push to support Ukraine could fall by the wayside.
Doubts are growing over beefing up EU defense outlays through collective financing — an idea that President Emmanuel Macron backs strongly, according to people familiar with the matter. There’s also a fear that the snap legislative elections he called this month will undermine his role as one of Kyiv’s top cheerleaders, including his plan to dispatch army trainers to Ukraine.