World News for Students of English

27-02-2026 07:00

France and Germany don’t agree about a new fighter jet. France wants the plane to carry nuclear weapons and work from an aircraft carrier. Germany doesn’t have these weapons or ships, so it doesn’t need this.

The two countries started this project together in 2017 as part of a future air defense system. The project also includes software and aircraft without a pilot, not only a jet. But the jet is very important. German leaders spoke openly about problems with this deal. Big companies in both countries also compete for control and money. Europe wants to depend less on the United States for military planes.

This disagreement shows that it is sometimes hard to work together. Experts say the program might continue even if the countries build different jets.

Difficult words: air defense system (planes, weapons, and technology that keep a country safe from attacks in the air), compete (to try to win or be better than someone else), disagreement (a situation where people have different opinions).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.