Europe’s press is watching the NATO summit, which begins today in Ankara, with bated breath. The focus is not just on the US, which is withdrawing troops and weapons from Europe, but also on the question of who can assume a leading role in a more Europe-oriented Nato. Europe needs more than good intentionsJOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. It’s high time Europe put its money where it’s mouth is on defence, Le Soir (Germany) demands: “European leaders must step up their efforts. The US keeps sending messages and signals about pulling back, especially when it comes to withdrawing troops from Europe. ... And this in spite of the warnings from intelligence services about a possible Russian attack on one or more Nato members by 2030. And in spite of the ongoing war in Ukraine. ... Yes, a year ago the Europeans did commit to upping their military spending and investment. But these good intentions are struggling to get off the ground. ... The coordination between European capitals is failing to materialise or has failed already – as was the case with FCAS, the Franco-German airforce project.” US is the not the only problem Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) is concerned about unity within a European Nato: “Although there is greater willingness across Europe to increase defence spending, Nato cannot be Europeanised without conflict. Trump’s erratic alliance policy, Erdoğan’s authoritarian government and the differing levels of support among Nato countries for Ukraine are just a few examples of how difficult it is even for Europe to establish a common security policy. The persistent threat from Russia means that Nato’s eastern flank is a cause for concern. For Finland, it is not only the US that poses a problem, it is also the question of whether all European states will share political and military responsibility for collective defence.”