E5 Defence Ministers Meet in Paris on Ukraine Support and Middle East

The E5 defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom gathered in Paris on Monday, 26 October 2026, for a ministerial meeting focused on continued support for Ukraine and the security situation in the Middle East. Italy’s Ministry of Defence said on its official X account that Minister Guido Crosetto had arrived in the French capital to attend institutional meetings and the E5-format defence ministerial with his French, German, Polish and British counterparts.

NATO joins the Paris talks

According to a NATO media advisory issued on 23 October, Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska is taking part in the meeting and joining two working sessions, one on supporting Ukraine and one on the situation in the Middle East. A joint press conference with the Deputy Secretary General and the participating ministers was scheduled for 17:00 Central European Time. The French Ministry for the Armed Forces is hosting the event.

Norwegian defence outlet Forsvarets Forum, citing the French ministry, reported that further European military aid to Ukraine is a main topic, that EU and NATO representatives would join part of the talks and that Ukraine’s defence minister was expected to connect by video link.

What is the E5 format?

The E5 brings together the defence ministers of Europe’s five largest military spenders. The group first met in Berlin in November 2024 and has since convened in Poland, Paris, Rome, London and Kraków. Earlier meetings produced pledges to cut regulatory barriers to defence production, a first joint deployment to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the LEAP low-cost drone initiative. A first leaders-level E5 meeting was held in Berlin in June 2026.

Why the meeting matters

The Paris talks come as European governments seek to take on a larger share of their own defence within NATO and to sustain long-term military assistance to Kyiv. The E5 has positioned itself as a coordinating core for European capability development, industrial cooperation and Ukraine support, alongside the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and EU programmes.

Inclusion of the Middle East on the agenda reflects growing European concern over regional security and its effect on maritime routes and allied deployments. Any joint statement or new initiatives are expected to be outlined at the evening press conference.

Featured image: Quirinale / Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons