Donald Trump has criticised the cost of US military assistance to Ukraine and aims to transfer a greater share of responsibility to Europe. #EuropeNews

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe Monday to “wake up” and spend more on defense in order to reduce its reliance on the United States for its security, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe's military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more investment in home-grown defence industries.

Donald Trump's return to the White House and his push to increase defense spending present Europe with new challenges. Alongside the demographic aging of societies and declining productivity, European welfare states face increasing financial pressure,