BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday that European countries must strengthen their defense capabilities in response to growing threats and shifts in US foreign policy.

Speaking at a news conference at the end of an extraordinary European Union leaders summit, Scholz affirmed that European countries will maintain their support for Ukraine while taking steps to enhance Europe's defense capabilities.

“All European Union member states must do more for defense. This is one of the tasks that will particularly challenge us in the coming years, and certainly in the next two decades,” he said, adding the European Commission’s plan to mobilize nearly €800 billion ($863 billion) to boost European defense investments and procurements was a crucial step forward.

“It is very important that the projects that can be supported with them are also open to partners that are not European Union members but work closely with us, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland or Türkiye,” Scholz said, and underlined the importance of closer cooperation between European defense companies.

“We need a major consolidation process of the European defense industry and we also need the opportunity for companies to work together actively, independently and without being hindered by European competition rules. This has also received a lot of support today,” he added, referring to discussions among European leaders.