EU countries are taking a harder look at who builds, owns and works on key infrastructure like ports, IT and rail — and that concern is now spilling into a wave of legislation aimed at countries like China. Sweden is the latest to move, proposing this week to give local authorities new powers to block “hostile states” from bidding on infrastructure if their involvement could threaten national security. “It’s part of a defense issue,” a Swedish official told POLITICO, describing growing worries about countries like China gaining access to public infrastructure. “We are acting very quickly on that, since we see a risk that hostile states might try to infiltrate infrastructure such as ports, but also IT solutions and energy infrastructure.” It’s also a worry in Poland, Austria and inside EU institutions — all of which are rushing to put in safeguards to block, or at least monitor, third-country investment in key tech and transport infrastructure. What accelerated Sweden’s move was a recent EU court ruling involving Turkish and Chinese companies bidding on two railway projects. Judges concluded that suppliers from countries without a free-trade agreement with the EU do not enjoy the same rights as EU firms — a reading Stockholm took as both a green light and a warning signal. Sweden’s new rules are due to take effect in 2027. No specific cases were cited, but the investigation repeatedly pointed to China — which also sits at the center of very similar concerns in Poland. Warsaw has long been uneasy about the scale of Chinese involvement in its ports. A new draft bill put forward by the country’s president would “adapt the existing regulations concerning the operation of ports, and in particular the ownership of real estate located within the boundaries of ports.” The president argued that the current model — state-owned port authorities holding land and infrastructure and leasing it long-term to terminal operators — needs tightening if the country wants to maintain control over assets of “fundamental importance to the national economy.” Gen. Dariusz Łuczak, former head of Poland’s Internal Security Agency and now adviser to the Special Services Commission, told Polish media late last month that “the most important provisions are those concerning the early termination of perpetual use agreements.” However, it’s unclear if the legislation will pass as President Karol Nawrocki is broadly opposed to the government led by Prime Minster Donald Tusk. The EU is also moving. Ana Miguel Pedro, a Portuguese member of the European Parliament with the center-right European People’s Party, told POLITICO in the spring that the growing presence of Chinese state-owned companies in European port terminals “is not just an economic concern, but a strategic vulnerability.” Those concerns appear in the bloc’s new military mobility package, which calls for member countries to put in place “stricter rules on the ownership and control of strategic dual use infrastructure.” Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas also flagged the Chinese presence in ports and said it will feature in the European Commission’s upcoming ports strategy, due in 2026. Austria has also been pushed into the debate after long-distance trains built by Chinese state-owned manufacturer CRRC rolled onto the Vienna-Salzburg line for the first time — triggering a political backlash. The country’s Mobility Minister Peter Hanke said the EU must tighten procurement and digital-security rules for state-backed rail purchases — and Vienna plans to propose new legislation before the end of the year. The Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Industry is pushing Brussels to go even further. The European Rail Supply Industry Association argued that the bloc’s procurement rules are relics of an earlier era and asked the Commission to update them so companies from countries that shut out EU bidders cannot freely compete for European contracts. Sweden’s investigators saw the same risks. “Third-country suppliers without an agreement should not be given a more advantageous position than they have today and than other suppliers have,” Anneli Berglund Creutz, who led the Swedish government’s procurement review, told reporters. Contracting authorities, she added, should have the ability “to take into account the nationality of suppliers and to select suppliers from hostile states” — possibly excluding them “when that protects national security.”

BRUSSELS — The European Commission plans to slash red tape and pour money into making it easier to move troops and weapons across the continent, according to the Military Mobility Communication obtained by POLITICO. The document is part of the upcoming military mobility package, set to be announced on Wednesday alongside a legislative proposal. “Military mobility is the crucial enabler of the defence posture and capabilities that Europe urgently needs to credibly deter its adversaries and to respond to any crisis,” reads the 15-page communication. At the heart of the plan is the new European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System, a new scheme allowing member countries — or the Commission — to propose the temporary suspension of normal transport rules during emergencies. Once triggered, EMERS would give the military priority access to infrastructure, transport assets and essential services. “Situations requiring rapid, large-scale military movement rarely come announced,” the communication says, adding that without better military mobility rules, deterring an adversary remains “theoretical.” The EU and NATO are scrambling to make it easier to shift troops, weapons, ammunition and fuel from Western Europe to the front lines of a potential conflict with Russia in the east. Currently, the bloc’s roads, bridges, railways and paperwork aren’t fit for purpose to react swiftly in the event of a threat. The communication notes that some countries require 45 days of advance notice before allowing military equipment to cross their territory. “Significant barriers to effective military mobility in the EU persist,” the communication notes. “National rules are often divergent, fragmented and non-harmonised.” Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told POLITICO earlier this month that the bloc should replicate its Schengen open-border zone for military equipment. “We need to move fast. We need to move faster than what Europe is used to or is expecting to,” Tzitzikostas said, saying the target is to get the basics in place by 2030.  German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned over the weekend that Russia may be capable of launching an attack on a NATO member state as early as 2028-2029. If approved, EMERS would also grant derogations from standard customs and transport rules, including limits on driving times and rest periods for civilian operators, as well as faster, dedicated customs procedures under a specific EU protocol. The framework could stay in place for up to one year, with activation approved by the Council within 48 hours of its proposal. To ensure coordination on the ground, each member state will appoint a national coordinator for military transport, serving as a single contact point for permissions, notifications and crisis response. A new Military Mobility Transport Group, bringing together national authorities, the European Defence Agency and the European External Action Service, will oversee implementation. The communication also mentions forthcoming reviews of the Rail Service Facilities Regulation and the Air Services Regulation, as well as a 2026 evaluation of the flexible use of airspace rules and a pledge to promote dual-use airports. The text also foresees the creation of a solidarity pool and a strategic lift reserve enabling the shared use of EU and national transport assets in crises. Other initiatives include a military mobility catalogue of dual-use transport assets, a digital information system for movement authorization, and support for an EU network of civil-defense drone testing centers. A big part of Europe’s military mobility push is mapping 500 hotspots — the bridges, tunnels and ports that act as bottlenecks for military transport — and updating them to military standards. The communication also foresees an effort to better link the EU’s transport infrastructure to Ukraine that will cost as much as €100 billion. The Commission wants the EU to set aside €17.7 billion for military mobility under the Connecting Europe Facility in the bloc’s next seven-year budget starting in 2027 — a tenfold jump from the €1.7 billion in the current budget. The communication also notes that the EU needs to better protect its infrastructure against cyber and hybrid attacks. The bloc has seen a proliferation of such threats, including this Sunday’s explosion on a key Polish railway that the government attributed to “sabotage.” “Europe must take decisive action,” the communication says. “While progress has been made, the EU remains shackled by fragmented approaches that undermine our ability in moving military equipment and personnel across Europe.”

CINCU, Romania — Move over, Dracula. Transylvania has a new villain. In the rugged, forested mountains of central Romania, 5,000 NATO troops gathered to fight off a make-believe enemy. In what the alliance billed as a “show of force,” two French Puma helicopters dropped from the clouds, skimming low over the hills as tanks and howitzers rolled into position and fighter jets and drones streaked across the sky. “The scenario’s main goal is deterrence,” said Maj. Gen. Dorin Toma, commander of NATO’s Multinational Division South-East. The target of that message is no secret: Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The exercise was part of an annual drill known as Dacian Fall, but this year’s edition — which wrapped Thursday — carried extra weight. Part of NATO’s race to reinforce Europe’s eastern flank, it comes just a few weeks after Washington’s announced it will sharply reduce U.S. troop levels in Romania — even as European defense and intelligence officials warn that Moscow could test the alliance’s resolve within the next few years. Romania, which borders Ukraine, Moldova and the Black Sea, is home to several NATO bases. Since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has hosted a NATO multinational battlegroup led by France and including Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg.  In November, the Pentagon said it would redeploy an infantry brigade of around 800 troops back to Kentucky from Romania, as the U.S. military reorients its focus to domestic priorities like border protection and the Indo-Pacific region. Some 1,000 U.S. troops will stay in the country, as part of bilateral defense agreement between Washington and Bucharest.  Romania has invested heavily in American-made Patriot air defense systems, F-35 fighters and Abrams tanks, and has consistently prioritized its transatlantic partnership. | Laura Kayali/POLITICO NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Romanian top officials and the Trump administration have downplayed the implications of the decision. But Romania’s State Secretary for Defense Sorin Moldova recently told POLITICO that the U.S. should “overturn” the drawdown. The American troop reduction is not expected to have a military impact — “For the guys in the trenches, it’s no big deal,” a Romanian high-ranking military officer told POLITICO — but as a political symbol, some worry it could embolden Putin to test his luck. Earlier this week, debris from a Russian drone targeting Ukraine landed on Romanian soil, the latest in a string of similar incidents. The drawdown “will have limited operational implications,” said Anca Agachi, a policy analyst at the RAND research institute. “It’s the strategic signaling the alliance needs to worry about.” Exercises like Dacian Fall need to “signal deterrence,” she said. MILITARY MOBILITY The exercise is designed to demonstrate that NATO allies are ready to work together to reinforce the eastern flank — and to propagate lessons from the war in Ukraine. In responding to Russian aggression, speed will be essential. In one of the French army’s largest deployments, Paris scrambled troops and military equipment to Romania within NATO’s 10-day deadline. Under NATO requirements, France must be able to deploy a war-ready division on the eastern flank in 30 days by 2027.  “For the first time, we decided to use a ship. It took us two days to reach Greece, then two to three more days to cross Bulgaria,” said Gen. Maxime Do Tran, the commander of the French armored brigade that participated in the exercise. Other troops made the journey on five planes, 11 trains and about 15 convoys.  Earlier this week, debris from a Russian drone targeting Ukraine landed on Romanian soil, the latest in a string of similar incidents. | Laura Kayali/POLITICO While moving across air, land and sea was relatively seamless, “the train transportation was a bit more difficult because in peacetime, we were not prioritized to cross the border,” Do Tran said. Next week, the European Commission is expected to unveil a proposal to ease movement of military personnel and weaponry. Soldiers on site deployed equipment from across the alliance: German Eurofighters, Romanian F-16s, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems rocket launchers, Caesar self-propelled howitzers, and Mistral air defense systems. And drones. Lots of drones. “Dacian Fall is a very good platform for each nation to make experiments and test new equipment,” said Maj. Gen. Toma. For the first time in a large-scale drill, Romanian military officers tested Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones. Other unmanned aerial vehicles included drones providing targeting information for troops on the ground, as well as suicide drones and FPV models widely used in Ukraine. FILLING THE GAP NATO officials were keen to stress that the U.S. has not left the country. American troops provided air support for the exercise. “We’re here as a willing partner, and we’ll stand beside Romania,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Stroup from the U.S. Air Force. However, the drawdown means Romania will need its European allies to step up, said Oana Lungescu, a former NATO spokesperson and a distinguished fellow with the Royal United Services Institute think tank. The U.S. decision is “an opportunity for France and other Europeans to consider how they can contribute even more presence and show that they are indeed stepping up,” she said. In the past three years, Paris and Bucharest have deepened military ties. Catherine Vautrin, France’s newly appointed armed forces minister, went to Romania last month in one of her first trips abroad. But so far, Paris has not announced plans to boost its presence in Romania. The shift is a moment of reckoning for Bucharest, which has long staked its defense strategy on U.S. support. Romania has invested heavily in American-made Patriot air defense systems, F-35 fighters and Abrams tanks, and has consistently prioritized its transatlantic partnership. “Romania has been focusing for decades on the strategic partnership with the U.S.,” Lungescu stressed. “It’s also an opportunity to diversify in terms of deployments, training and capabilities.” On the cold November afternoon at the end of the exercise, the artillery smoke had cleared and the Transylvanian mountains had gone quiet. The French troops that had crossed the continent to be there were packing their things and preparing to go home — for now.

BRUSSELS — Heard the one about the 12-and-half-hour meeting of 27 national leaders that succeeded in agreeing very little apart from coming up with quite a lot of “let’s decide in a couple of months” or “let’s just all agree on language that means absolutely nothing but looks like we’re united” or “let’s at least celebrate that we got through this packed agenda without having to come back on Friday”? No? Well let us enlighten you. And if that makes you question how we’ve managed to squeeze 29 things out of this, well let’s just say one of these is about badly functioning vending machines… 1 . STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX WITH A QUICK WIN ON SANCTIONS … The day was off to a flying start when Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico lifted his veto over the latest raft of Russia sanctions on the eve of the summit — allowing the package to get formally signed off at 8 a.m. before leaders even started talking. Fico rolled over after claiming to achieve what he set out to do: clinch support for Slovakia’s car industry. He found an unusual ally in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who he met separately to discuss the impact of climate targets on their countries’ automotive sectors. 2. … BUT AGREEMENT ON FROZEN RUSSIAN ASSETS WAS LESS FORTHCOMING There was a moment earlier in the week where the EU looked to be on the cusp of a breakthrough on using Russian frozen assets to fund a €140 billion loan for Ukraine. Belgium, the main holdout, appeared to be warming to the European Commission’s daring idea to crack open the piggy bank. But Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stuck by his guns , saying he feared taking the assets, which are held in a Brussels-based financial depository, could trigger Moscow to take legal action. 3. BELGIUM DIDN’T MOVE ON ITS BIG THREE BIG DEMANDS The Flemish right-winger’s prerequisites were threefold: the “full mutualization of the risk,” guarantees that if the money has to paid back, “every member state will chip in,” and for every other EU country that holds immobilized assets to also seize them. Leaders eventually agreed on that classic EU summit outcome: a fudge. They tasked the European Commission to “present options” at the next European Council — effectively deciding not to decide. “Political will is clear, and the process will move forward,” said one EU official. But it’s uncertain whether a deal can be brokered by the next summit, currently set for December. 4. DE WEVER REJECTS THE ‘BAD BOY’ LABEL After POLITICO ranked the Belgian leader among its list of “bad boys” likely to disrupt Thursday’s summit (rightfully, might we add), he protested the branding. “A bad boy! Me? … If you talk about the immobilized assets, we’re the very, very best,” he said. The day was off to a flying start when Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico lifted his veto over the latest raft of Russia sanctions on the eve of the summit. | Olivier Hoslet/EPA 5. URSULA VON DER LEYEN ALSO CONCEDED THEY’RE NOT QUITE THERE YET The high-level talks “allowed us to identify points we need to clarify,” the Commission president said tactfully. “Nobody vetoed nothing today,” European Council President António Costa chimed in. “The technical and legal aspects of Europe’s support need to be worked upon.” Translation in case you didn’t understand the double negative: The EU needs to come up with a better plan to reassure Belgium — and fast. 6. UKRAINE: EVER THE OPTIMIST Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ― a guest of the summit ― told reporters Russia must pay the price for its invasion, calling on the EU to follow through with its frozen assets proposal, adding he thought the leaders were “close” to an agreement. “If Russia brought war to our land, they have to pay for this war,” he said. 7. AND ZELENSKYY IS STILL HOLDING OUT FOR TOMAHAWKS “We will see,” was Zelenskyy’s message on the topic of acquiring the long-range missiles from the U.S., which Donald Trump has so far ruled out selling to Kyiv. “Each day brings something … maybe tomorrow we will have Tomahawks,” Zelenskyy said. “I don’t know.” 8. UKRAINE WANTS GERMANY TO SEND MORE WEAPONS TOO Merz held a meeting with Zelenskyy about “the situation in Washington and the American plans that are now on the table,” a German official said, adding Zelenskyy made “specific requests” to the chancellor about helping Ukraine with its “defense capabilities.” After the summit, the German leader said Berlin would review a proposal on how German technologies could help to protect Ukrainian’s energy and water infrastructure. 9. THUMBS UP TO DEFENSE ROADMAP! EU leaders endorsed the Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030 presented last week by the Commission, which aims to prepare member countries for war by 2030. One of its main objectives is to fill EU capability gaps in nine areas: air and missile defense, enablers, military mobility, artillery systems, AI and cyber, missile and ammunition, drones and anti-drones, ground combat, and maritime. The plan also mentions areas like defense readiness and the role of Ukraine, which would be heavily armed and supported to become a “steel porcupine” able to deter Russian aggression. As leaders deliberated, a Russian fighter jet and a refueling aircraft briefly crossed into Lithuanian airspace from the Kaliningrad region, underscoring the need for the EU to protect its skies. 10. KYIV IS PROMISING TO BUY EUROPEAN — MOSTLY Ukraine will prioritize domestic and European industry when spending cash from the proposed reparation loan funded by Russia’s frozen assets, Zelenskyy told leaders at the summit — but wants to be able to go across the pond when necessary. 11. MUCH THE SAME FOR SPAIN Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez said the country had committed to contributing cash to a fund organized by NATO to buy weapons for Ukraine from the U.S. | Nicolas Tucat/Getty Images Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez said the country had committed to contributing cash to a fund organized by NATO to buy weapons for Ukraine from the U.S. “Today, most of the air defense components, such as Patriots or Tomahawks … which Ukraine clearly needs, are only manufactured in the United States,” he said. Madrid has been a thorn in Washington’s side over its lax defense spending. 12. THERE WAS A MERCOSUR SURPRISE Merz stunned trade watchers when he announced the leaders had backed a controversial trade agreement with Latin American countries. “We voted on it today: The Mercosur agreement can be ratified,” the German chancellor told reporters, adding that he was “very happy” about that. “All 27 countries voted unanimously in favor,” Merz added on Mercosur. “It’s done.” The remark sparked confusion amongst delegations, as the European Council doesn’t usually vote on trade agreements — let alone one as controversial as the mammoth agreement with the countries of the Latin American bloc of Mercosur, which has been in negotiations for over 25 years. One EU diplomat clarified that it’s because European Council President António Costa sought confirmation from EU leaders that they would agree to take a stance on the deal by the end of this year — and no formal vote was taken yet. 13. CLIMATE TALKS PASSED WITHOUT A HITCH One of the hotter potatoes ahead of the summit passed surprisingly smoothly. Leaders ultimately refrained from bulldozing the EU’s climate targets, agreeing to a vaguely worded commitment to a green transition, though without committing to a 2040 goal, which proposes cutting emissions by 90 percent compared to 1990 levels. In the words of one diplomat: “Classic balance, everyone equally unhappy.” 14. AT LEAST ONE LEADER SEEMED PLEASED, THOUGH Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the summit a “turning point” in Europe’s approach to green policy, adding he succeeded in inserting a “revision clause” into the EU’s plan to extend its carbon-trading system to heating and transport emissions that will give member countries the option to delay or adjust the rollout. “We’ve defused a threat to Polish families and drivers,” he declared, calling the change a signal that “Europe is finally speaking our language.” 15. BUT THE ISSUE WON’T STAY BURIED FOR LONG Ministers are set to reconvene and cast a vote on the 2040 goal on Nov. 4, described by one diplomat as “groundhog day.” 16. MEANWHILE, THERE WAS NOTHING ON MIGRATION … Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the summit a “turning point” in Europe’s approach to green policy. | Thierry Monasse/Getty Images Aside from promising to make migration a “priority,” the EU’s leaders failed to make any kind of breakthrough on a stalled proposal for burden-sharing. Reminder: The EU missed a deadline last week to agree on a new way of deciding which member countries are under stress from receiving migrants and ways of sharing the responsibility more equally across the bloc. 17. … BUT THE ANTI-MIGRANT BREAKFAST CLUB LIVES ON Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and the Netherlands’ Dick Schoof have kept up their informal pre-summit “migration breakfasts” since last June, swapping innovative ideas on tougher border and asylum policies. They met again on Thursday with von der Leyen, who updated them on the EU’s latest plans for accelerating migrant returns, and the trio agreed an informal summit will take place next month in Rome. 18. NOR DID THE EU’S SOCIAL MEDIA BAN GET MUCH OF A LOOK IN As expected, the leaders endorsed a “possible” minimum age for kids to use social media, but failed to commit to a bloc-wide ban, with capitals divided on whether to make the age 15 or 16, as well as on the issue of parental consent. 19. THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF WAITING FOR NEWS… Journalists were frantically pressing their sources in the Council and national delegations to find out what was happening at the leaders’ table as the meeting dragged into the late hours. It eventually finished at 10.30 p.m. ― 12 and a half hours after it began. 20. … AND THE GREENS SEIZED THEIR MOMENT The EU Parliament’s Greens group co-chair Bas Eickhout wandered the hallways of the Justus Lipsius building ready to brief bored journalists about the wonders of the Green Deal — while leaders debated how to unravel it in the other room. 21. THE COMBUSTION ENGINE BAN FELL FLAT One of the pillars of the EU’s green transition, its 2035 de facto combustion engine ban, was set to play a major role in the competitiveness and climate discussions, with Merz and Fico spoiling for a fight over the proposal — yet it barely registered as a footnote. Slovakia used the climate talks to oppose the ban, and the Czech Republic chimed in to agree, but in the end the summit’s official conclusions welcomed the Commission’s proposed ban without mentioning how it should be watered down. 22. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL’S VENDING MACHINES AREN’T VERY, ER, COMPETITIVE Officials and journalists alike found that the vending machines in the EU’s Justus Lipsius building, which incidentally is due for a €1 billion renovation, about as efficient as a roundtable of 27 national leaders lasting 12 and a half hours. 23. THE BLOC IS WORRIED ABOUT CHINA… Beijing’s export controls on rare earths came up in the talks on competitiveness, according to two EU officials, with some leaders expressing their concerns. 24. … BUT THEY’RE NOT READY TO GO NUCLEAR — YET One of the officials said the EU’s most powerful trade weapon, the Anti-Coercion Instrument, was mentioned, but didn’t garner much interest around the table. 25. HOUSING GETS 40 MINUTES — NOT BAD FOR A FIRST RUN Leaders spent a chunk of time discussing the continent’s housing crisis. A solid start for the topic, which made it onto the agenda for the first time at Costa’s behest. The EU executive “is ready to help,” von der Leyen said after the summit, announcing a European Affordable Housing Plan is in the pipeline and the first EU Housing Summit in 2026. | Dursun Aydemir/Getty Images During talks, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the Commission to create a database tracking which housing policies work — and which don’t — across Europe. Most leaders agreed that, while housing remains a national competence, the EU still has a role to play. 26. AND THE COMMISSION WANTS TO ROLL UP ITS SLEEVES The EU executive “is ready to help,” von der Leyen said after the summit, announcing a European Affordable Housing Plan is in the pipeline and the first EU Housing Summit in 2026. 27. LEADERS ENJOYED A FEAST OR TWO For lunch, langoustine with yuzu, celeriac and apple, fillet of veal with artichokes and crispy polenta, and a selection of fresh fruit. For dinner, cannelloni with herbs, courgette velouté, fillet of brill with chorizo and pepper, and fig meringue cake. Yum. 28. THOUGH A FEW COULDN’T MAKE IT Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was the most notable absence, rocking up several hours late due to a national holiday in Budapest. Portugal and Slovenia’s leaders were also absent at one point. 29. AND COSTA KEPT HIS PROMISE … JUST The European Council president pledged to streamline summits under his watch, making them one-day affairs instead of two. And with just a couple hours to spare, he was successful. Okay, breathe. Did we miss anything? (Don’t answer that.) Gerardo Fortuna, Max Griera Andrieu, Jordyn Dahl, Gabriel Gavin, Hanne Cokelaere, Clea Caulcutt, Hans von der Burchard, Kathryn Carlson, Tim Ross, Jacopo Barigazzi, Gregorio Sorgi, Eliza Gkritsi, Carlo Martuscelli, Nicholas Vinocur, Saga Ringmar, Sarah Wheaton, Louise Guillot, Zia Weise, Camille Gijs, Bartosz Brzezinski and Giedre Peseckyte contributed to this report.

Senior officials inside NATO and the Spanish government are not too concerned with President Donald Trump’s threats to punish the country for its perceived inadequate spending on defense. “The threat is not being taken seriously at the military level,” said a senior NATO officer at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Brussels. “Spaniards are reacting calmly.” The officer was granted anonymity to discuss internal thinking. The relative shrug comes as Trump’s rhetoric has grown increasingly hostile in recent weeks, criticizing Spain over its low spending amid the administration’s push to make European countries less reliant on the United States’ military umbrella. “You’re going to have to talk to Spain,” Trump told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday. “Spain is not a team player.” Trump has pushed NATO members to spend at least 5 percent of their GDP on national defense. At a NATO summit in The Hague in June, most members agreed to a spending target of 5 percent of GDP — 3.5 percent on core military expenditure and 1.5 percent in defense-related areas such as military mobility by 2035. But not Spain, which asked for a carveout. Madrid has the lowest military spending of any NATO member country, allocating just 1.3 percent of its GDP to defense in 2024. And its refusal to commit to more has irked Trump, who this month said NATO should consider throwing Spain out of the alliance. The president’s anger further strains an already complex transatlantic relationship in which he has upended trade relationships, imposed new tariffs and lectured leaders on migration and climate change. European leaders, meanwhile, have worked hard to maintain a positive relationship with Trump as they hope to influence him on a range of issues, especially the war in Ukraine. Trump also suggested he’d impose new tariffs Spain, which is a member of the European Union. It’s not clear how Spain could be singled out but, for now, the Spanish don’t seem too concerned. What matters—and we should say it with pride—is that Spain is a reliable and responsible ally, that it has been in the Atlantic Alliance for 40 years, that it has paid a very high price with the lives of Spanish service members, that it is willing to take part in every mission assigned to it, and that it is making a very important effort in the Spanish and European defense industry, creating jobs and honoring commitments,” said Margarita Robles, Spain’s defense minister told reporters last week. “So, even if some do not acknowledge it, Spain is a country that delivers, and an ally respected by the other members of the Alliance.” Robles added that 2035 is a long way off and the alliance’s priority should be what is happening in Ukraine. But Trump remains focused on Spain’s refusal and is still “considering economic consequences,” said Anna Kelly, spokesperson for the White House. “President Trump always means what he says, and his actions speak for themselves,” she said. “While every other NATO ally agreed to increase its defense spending to five percent, Spain was the only country that refused.”

BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Thursday unveiled its Defense Readiness Roadmap to prepare the bloc to “credibly deter its adversaries and respond to any aggression” by 2030.  According to the document, within five years the EU must be able to respond to the “evolving threat landscape” it faces, particularly from Russia, which “poses a persistent threat to European security for the foreseeable future.” “The recent threats have shown that Europe is at risk. We have to protect every citizen and square centimeter of our territory,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Commission outlined four flagship projects in the roadmap, as well as boosting the bloc’s military industrial complex while continuing to support Ukraine, which is considered an “integral part of Europe’s defense and security architecture.” Von der Leyen will present the roadmap to EU leaders at their Oct. 23 summit. The four key defense efforts in the roadmap are: the European Drone Defense Initiative; the Eastern Flank Watch; the European Air Shield; and the European Space Shield. The idea is for the Commission to help members coordinate on projects that are too large for a single country to do on its own, while being mindful of the need to preserve national sovereignty over defense. Each flagship project, with a timeline outlined in the paper, will be led by a member state, supported by the Commission, and will address capability gaps without creating an operational structure.  “The roadmap has clear objectives and deadlines for how we will achieve them. It’s up to the member states; they are in the driver’s seat. But it helps them fill the gaps and fulfill the tasks set by NATO,” said Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s top diplomat. The Commission said the flagship programs are driven by requests from the member states. “Frontline countries feel the sense of urgency and want to prepare after we saw the drone incursions in Europe,” said a Commission official prior to presenting the plans, referring to recent overflights of EU territory by Russian drones.  “This clearly shows that Europe needs a 360-degree approach to rapidly closing capability gaps in this area. Ukraine is ready to support member states in organizing this,” the official added. The Commission is in close dialogue with NATO to coordinate further steps, and more flagship projects are anticipated.  “Two more initiatives will be announced later this year: a Military Mobility Package and a Technological Transformation of the Defence Industry,” said Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen. Kallas said the first coordinating meetings of the four groups started this week. “The first meeting of the drones coalition took place with the Netherlands and Latvia in the lead,” she said.  German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius earlier Thursday announced that Germany intends to take the lead in the European Air Shield. A Commission official said groups of at least 10 countries are aligned for each of the four efforts. The European Defence Agency is also playing a central role by providing meeting spaces for the groups and advising on projects. 

Russia failed to win back its seat on the United Nations aviation agency’s governing council Saturday after staunch opposition from the EU over the invasion of Ukraine. A Russian official immediately called for “a repeat round of voting” after the country fell short of the support needed to gain a seat on the International Civil Aviation Organization’s 36-member council. Countries booted Russia off the ICAO Council in 2022 over the illegal confiscation of leased airplanes during the war with Ukraine. The ICAO Council also blamed Russia for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people. European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen had said ahead of Saturday’s vote that it was “unacceptable that a state which endangers the safety and security of air passengers and violates international rules should hold a seat on the organization’s governing body, tasked with upholding those very rules.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Bulgaria’s largest state-owned arms producer on Sunday drew protests from nationalist parties, laying bare domestic tensions over the country’s burgeoning role as a hub for arms production. The Commission chief was set to accompany Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to the country’s largest state military enterprise, VMZ Sopot, to discuss issues related to European security and to tour the plant’s facilities. But protesters from the far-right Revival party and the nationalist Velichie party gathered outside the plant’s entrance to demonstrate their antipathy to the EU visit. Kostadin Kostadinov, the leader of Revival who has previously spoken of Bulgaria’s withdrawal from NATO, was filmed blocking a civilian car from entering the plant, according to a report by Mediapool. The visit to Bulgaria’s state-owned arms manufacturer comes on the heels of an announcement by Germany’s defense company Rheinmetall that it would build two new factories in the Balkan nation, including expanding facilities at Sopot, to establish Bulgaria as Europe’s largest gunpowder manufacturer. During the Cold War, Bulgaria emerged as one of the Warsaw Pact’s major arms producers, specializing in small arms, ammunition and light armored vehicles. But the collapse of the Soviet Union sent the sector into steep decline, shuttering many state-owned factories. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has since breathed new life into Bulgaria’s defense industry, turning the country into a crucial supplier of Soviet-standard ammunition for Kyiv — and reviving once-idle plants and regions. “The propaganda that the government is currently trying to put forward that there is about to be some sort of economic boom is completely untrue,” Kostadinov told reporters. “Will this plant be beneficial to us? We know gunpowder production is dangerous and dirty work. Why does Bulgaria not invest in military mobility or military electronics? Instead our country is for dangerous material,” he said. Meanwhile, supporters of Velichie brandished axes in a livestream broadcast stating that they were “the bouquet that von der Leyen deserved.” The protests come on the back of a strong national anti-euro demonstrations. Von der Leyen is on a seven-country tour of the so-called front-line states to reassure them of the EU’s support against Russian aggression. In addition to Bulgaria, which borders the Black Sea, the Commission chief has visited Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland — all of which share a border with Russia or Belarus. On Monday, she will travel to Romania and Lithuania. Her trip coincides with increased efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to broker a ceasefire in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year.

Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany are in talks to revive the Iron Rhine railway, a line dating back to the 19th century, aiming to boost military mobility in response to the growing Russian threat. “The military angle has brought the Iron Rhine back into the spotlight,” said Herman Welter, a railway expert at the Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper, adding that this aspect might now play a significant role in the decades-long discussions about reactivating the railway. Iron Rhine, which once connected the Port of Antwerp in Belgium to Germany’s industrial Ruhr region, was pivotal for Allied forces during and after World War II. Largely unused for decades, parts of it have been abandoned since 1991. But now, as EU military mobility needs increase and other rail lines face capacity issues, the pressure is mounting for action. “It’s getting on [the countries’] nerves,” said a mobility consultant close to the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirming that discussions are accelerating. “This project is political,” said Thomas De Spiegelaere, spokesperson for the Belgian transport ministry. “Prime Minister [Bart] De Wever has taken control of the project himself.” Not everyone, however, is fully on board with prioritizing the railway’s revival. The Dutch, in particular, are less than enthusiastic. Their section is short while the parallel Betuwe line already links Rotterdam to Germany. The reluctance also has commercial roots: the Port of Antwerp has long championed the Iron Rhine, viewing it as a potential challenge to the Port of Rotterdam’s dominance in the region. “The Netherlands goes along, but they’d rather sabotage it from the inside,” the consultant noted. The Dutch government did not respond to a request for comment. In Belgium, the current hope is that the military angle will accelerate the project’s reactivation. But as Welter pointed out, “The Netherlands holds the key,” adding that “if it costs them little or nothing, they’ll cooperate.” One of the reasons the Netherlands may eventually come around, Welter noted, is the potential financial boost from NATO’s new spending targets and EU funding — €17 billion may be available for military mobility from 2027 in the proposal for the EU’s next long-term budget. “If the EU provides free money to build the infrastructure,” the mobility consultant said, “even the reluctant Netherlands will get on board.” Discussions to revive the Iron Rhine have been ongoing for years and have sparked disputes over issues such as environmental concerns. In 2003, Belgium and the Netherlands took their fight over the railway’s reactivation to an arbitration tribunal, which ruled that Belgium could move forward with the reactivation, but would bear the environmental costs — with the Netherlands contributing only if it stood to benefit. In the current talks, Welter noted that Berlin seems relatively in favor of the project, even as Iron Rhine poses the biggest infrastructure challenges in Germany thanks to difficult terrain around the junction city of Aachen and the collapse of the Rastatt tunnel in 2017.

Italy today secured the final approval on the long-delayed €13.5 billion Strait of Messina bridge linking mainland Italy with Sicily. The Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development confirmed the project’s feasibility. Construction could begin once the decision becomes officially executable — likely in a few months. The infrastructure ministry, under Matteo Salvini, heralded the bridge’s potential to “revive the south and Italy as a whole,” citing expected benefits such as job creation, increased GDP, tourism growth and advancements in research and innovation. The Italian government is also touting the bridge as strategically significant, aiming for it to be including in new NATO defense spending targets. However, the effort to classify the bridge as a military object is leading to blowback both within Italy and among NATO countries. In Brussels, a senior EU official said the bridge is not currently considered a priority for military mobility. Efforts to build the bridge have stalled repeatedly. Former PM Silvio Berlusconi tried to revive the project in 2005, but it was canceled a year later under Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The scheme was again scuttled by the 2011 economic crisis, but the current government of PM Giorgia Meloni resurrected it in 2023. The 3.3-kilometer bridge has faced other challenges — from cost issues to seismic risks and the difficulty in relocating residents. Now, Italian officials say the new designation will help overcome these obstacles.