President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, has voiced the need for Europe to decrease its reliance on the United States in defence matters and bolster the European component of NATO. He expressed his position during a speech at the opening ceremony of the new academic year at the College of Europe in Bruges.

According to Politico , Petr Pavel said: "The dominance of NATO as a security provider should no longer imply that Europe can neglect its defence responsibilities. Reducing dependence on the U.S. and the development of European strategic forces and resources should be seen as our contribution to transatlantic partnership," emphasised Pavel.

He also expressed the belief that it may be necessary for Europe to allocate more than 2% of its GDP to defence to meet the target defence expenditure levels agreed upon by NATO member countries.

During his address, Pavel also supported the idea of expanding the European Union, emphasising that this should not be postponed to some hypothetical future moment when candidates perfectly meet all requirements.

Petr Pavel has a background in the military, having held high-ranking positions within NATO, and his presidential term began in early 2023.

Separately, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg held a phone conversation with leaders of the G7, including U.S. President Joe Biden, as well as the leaders of Poland and Romania. This conversation took place against the backdrop of growing concerns in Europe regarding the decision by the U.S. Congress to suspend funding for assistance to Ukraine.