Johann Wadephul Rebukes Emmanuel Macron Following Calls for Higher EU Defense Spending

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged France to increase military spending to match Emmanuel Macron’s calls for European sovereignty following warnings from German and British defense chiefs about Russian aggression.NATO members committed to a 5% GDP defense spending target by 2035 during recent summits, but Johann Wadephul noted that French progress remains insufficient compared to Germany’s €500 billion rearmament plan.In response to regional threats, UK Defense Secretary John Healy announced the HMS Prince of Wales carrier group will deploy to the North Atlantic while officials push for a whole-of-society approach to defense.