Dutch military presence in Estonia emerged as first line of NATO defense, while Macron warned of Trump's return as an "electric shock" to Europe. Russian state media celebrated Trump-Putin dialogue from previous day. By midday, the government extended its energy emergency fund with €60 million through 2026, while economic data showed continued growth despite vulnerabilities.
The afternoon brought US Vice President Vance's confrontational speech in Munich, directly challenging European democratic standards and demanding embrace of populist movements. German Defense Minister Pistorius called these statements "unacceptable." The Court blocked Minister Faber's planned cuts to refugee support services, marking another setback to the coalition's immigration policies.
Von der Leyen proposed excluding defense spending from EU budget constraints, while Trump threatened new tariffs on European VAT, escalating the trade tensions that began with steel tariffs earlier this week.