March 06, 2025

Europe's defence dilemma

28 minutes

Donald Trump has only been US president for just over a month and yet the world order seems to be changing by the day. Ukraine has been cut adrift with the pausing of US military aid and intelligence following President Zelensky’s disastrous meeting in the Oval Office. And Europe has been left wondering what is coming next as President Macron of France warns that the continent is "at a turning point in history." Europe faces not only having to support Ukraine without the US but potentially having to defend itself against Russia with no help from America. So can it do that? And how quickly could it fill the gaps left by the US?

Guests:

Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent

Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist

Claudia Major, Director international security division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

Fenella McGerty Senior Fellow for Defence Economics, International Institute for Strategic Studies

Presenter David Aaronovitch

Producers: Kirsteen Knight, Beth Ashmead Latham, Caroline Bayley

Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar

Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

Editor: Richard Vadon

(Image: Soldiers in silhouette. Credit: Photo by Martin Divisek/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

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