European Union leaders launched their the most ambitious defense plan for decades Thursday, agreeing on a multibillion-euro weapons fund, shared financing for battle groups and allowing a coalition of the willing to conduct more missions abroad.
It comes as tensions with Moscow and an inward turn in Washington have pushed Europe's governments to confront years of division over military cooperation.
New French President Emmanuel Macron, who threw his weight behind a common European defense during his election campaign, called the steps "historic" and said leaders were meeting Europe's security challenges.