At an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, European leaders resolved to substantially increase defence spending in order to guarantee Europe’s security. They also expressed nearly unanimous support for Ukraine, following the United States’ historic withdrawal of its assistance to the continent, which substantially altered transatlantic relations.
26 European leaders signed a text at the summit in Brussels, which called for a peace agreement that respects “Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity” and includes Ukraine in the negotiations. Hungary refrained from voting.
All 27 leaders of Europe have approved proposals that could free up billions of euros to increase defence spending in a separate text. They have urged the European Commission to identify innovative methods to “facilitate significant defence spending at the national level in all Member States.”
The leaders acknowledged a proposal from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which would offer countries loans totalling up to 150 billion euros ($162 billion). They stated that the plan would be further examined prior to the conclusion of the month for another meeting.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, participated in the special session on Thursday and expressed gratitude to the European Union (EU) leaders for their assistance during his recent disagreement with US President Donald Trump.
Zelensky stated during the meeting, “You resided with us for the duration of this period and the previous week.” “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Ukrainian people and to our entire nation.” Therefore, we are exceedingly grateful that we are not alone.
French President Emmanuel Macron informed reporters on Thursday that the EU will provide Ukraine with over $33 billion in assistance, which will be sourced from Russians who have been sanctioned by the EU. This announcement was made in the wake of the Special European Council summit in Brussels.
Macron declared, “The immediate objective is to provide assistance to Ukraine and its military.” “The EU will provide Ukraine with 30.6 billion euros in 2025, which will be financed by Russian assets.”
Meanwhile, Trump reiterated his criticism of NATO countries’ unequal defence expenditure in Washington. “I believe it is a matter of common sense.” “I will not defend them if they do not pay,” Trump stated.
The 27 heads of the EU nations had travelled to Brussels to identify a course of action in the conflict. This was the most recent in a series of meetings that were designed to secure a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine’s backing before the United States and Russia impose one on Kyiv. However, there are those who are concerned that the involvement of countries that are ambivalent could impede the development of a peace plan that would meet the needs of both Kyiv and Washington. Additionally, there is a lack of certainty in Europe regarding whether Trump would be interested in any proposal that the continent may submit to him.
Von der Leyen stated that all parties desire “peace from a position of strength” when asked how Europe can persuade the United States to include them in negotiations regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
“This is also in the interest of President Trump, as he seeks to establish a peaceful power. However, this is contingent upon the European Union and its member states’ support, as preconditions must be satisfied,” she stated.
A “new era”
Macron acknowledged in a televised address on Wednesday night that Europe is “entering a new era.” He also expressed a growing sense of dread regarding the change in Trump’s posture towards Moscow.
Macron cautioned, “The United States, our ally, has altered its stance on this war, is less supportive of Ukraine, and is raising questions about the next steps.”
In an unusually blunt and potentially incendiary statement, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who was dismissed as Ukraine’s military chief last year in a significant shakeup before becoming Kyiv’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, also stated that the US is “destroying” the current world order.
At the London think tank Chatham House on Thursday, he stated, “We are currently witnessing the White House making efforts to negotiate with the Kremlin, and it is possible that Europe will be the next country that Russia targets.” “The US is finally destroying this order; it is not just the ‘axis of evil’ and Russia that are attempting to revise the world order.”
Despite Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s agreement to the defence statement, Hungary’s leader declined to sign the Ukraine text at the summit on Thursday—the sole country to do so. Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, stated in a press release issued following the meeting that Hungary had “isolated” itself from the European consensus this way.
A encounter with a significant distinction
Thursday was the third European meeting that was hastily organised to discuss the future of the conflict since the Trump administration significantly reduced its support for the continent.
Some progress was made at a Sunday summit in London. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that a small group of European nations would collaborate with Zelensky to develop a ceasefire proposal, which would then be presented to the US. This remedy has the potential to prevent another crisis in the relationship between Trump and Zelensky.
However, this meeting was distinguished by the fact that it encompassed all member nations of the alliance, rather than solely those that elected to participate in Starmer’s summit. Furthermore, certain nations are neither intrigued nor willing to provide assistance in Ukraine’s struggle for survival.
Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, has consistently rejected requests for military assistance to Kyiv. He differed from the majority of his European colleagues in that he endorsed Trump in response to the president’s disagreement with Zelensky. He wrote on X, “Strong men make peace, weak men make war.”
There are also ongoing discussions regarding the nature of the peacekeeping force that may be deployed to Ukraine to maintain a prospective ceasefire. The force, which was initially proposed two weeks ago, has rapidly evolved from an idea to an apparent requirement of any agreement.
In the lead-up to the summit, a European official who was acquainted with the negotiations informed CNN that the United Kingdom, France, and Turkey would likely provide the majority of any such force.
However, the official stated that Eastern European states that border Russia were apprehensive that contributing to the force could leave their own borders vulnerable. Poland has been particularly forthright about this concern since it was first expressed.
The official stated, “You do not want to empty the eastern border, as European NATO has approximately 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) of eastern border.” “It is highly probable that the boots on the ground, if there is to be such a component, will not originate from countries such as Finland or Poland, which are already frontline countries and must maintain the boots on their own soil.”
The official stated that it was a “reasonable assumption” that the majority of the troops would originate from Turkey, France, and Britain.
According to the official, a timeline for confidence-building measures was currently being discussed. However, they expressed concern that a limited ceasefire in Ukraine and prisoner exchanges could be “difficult” to initiate by Easter. They further stated that it would be “completely unrealistic” to agree to and execute a full-scale ceasefire across the entire front line within that timeframe.
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