EU divided over defense force plan

European Union leaders have failed to find common ground in forming an independent defense force during their first major gathering following a tumultuous period in international affairs.

This week's summit in Slovenia is the first time senior figures from the 27 members states have met since the Western withdrawal from Afghanistan and the country's subsequent slide back into Taliban control. This also follows a diplomatic row prompted by the United States, United Kingdom and Australia's military pact in the Indo-Pacific region, which led to Australia canceling a major order for submarines from France.

French President Emmanuel Macron had led calls for closer military cooperation among EU states. But when top ranking officials came face-to-face, they did not succeed in coming to any sort of consensus.

It is understood that there is division among states from the former Eastern Europe, who are fearful of Russia's power and want Europe strengthened through NATO, and others including Germany and France that want a stronger EU capability.

Lessons from crises

"Drawing the lessons of recent crises, we are committed to consolidating our strengths and strengthening our resilience by reducing our critical dependencies," said Charles Michel, EU Council president, after the meeting. "To become more effective and assertive on the international stage, the EU needs to increase its capacity to act autonomously."

Another topic on the agenda at the EU leaders meeting was how the bloc's relationship with China will develop.

"We will also pursue our own interests, in particular vis-a-vis China, which we consider as a competitor, a partner and a systemic rival," Michel said.

Even before the submarine row, in which France withdrew its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra, the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan had already led Macron to question how much the US could be relied upon to protect Europe.

"We Europeans need to be clear with ourselves. What matters to us in our security, on our borders, our independence?" Macron said. He will meet his US counterpart Joe Biden in Rome at the end of this month.

On Tuesday, Macron was in talk with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, his first meeting with a senior US official since the submarine contract row blew up.

The 40-minute meeting was a last-minute addition to the agenda of Blinken's visit to Paris, which was originally for unrelated reasons, Agence France-Presse reported.

A senior US State Department official told reporters that though "a lot of hard work remains to be done", there was "common agreement that we have an opportunity now to deepen and strengthen the coordination". French officials said the meeting would contribute to "restoring confidence "between the two sides.