EU leaders hold emergency summit on Ukraine aid & own security as US support wanes

Brussels, March 7 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) European Union leaders have convened for an emergency summit in Brussels to address escalating security concerns after the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine.

During the summit held on Thursday, European leaders have primarily focused on strengthening their defence commitments and ensuring continued support for Ukraine.

European Union leaders also committed to working together to bolster the continent’s defences and to free up hundreds of billions of euros for security after US President Donald Trump’s repeated warnings that he would cut them adrift to face the threat of Russia alone.

With the growing conviction that they will now have to fend for themselves, countries that have faltered on defence spending for decades held emergency talks in Brussels to explore new ways to beef up their security and ensure future protection for Ukraine.

The gathering is the first summit of the 27 nations since an explosive meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, last week between US President Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. The Trump administration has since announced a freeze on military aid and suspended intelligence-sharing with Ukraine — decisions that could have dire consequences for Ukraine’s war efforts.

Among the attendees in Brussels were President Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and French President Emmanuel Macron, who in remarks on Wednesday said Russia is no longer just threatening Ukraine but is also potentially now a serious threat to Europe.

The 27 EU leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission to seek new ways “to facilitate significant defence spending” at the national level in all member states, a statement said.

The EU’s executive branch estimates that around 650 billion euros ($702 billion) could be freed up that way.

The leaders also took note of a commission offer of a loan package worth 150 billion euros ($162 billion) to buy new military equipment and invited EU headquarters staff “to examine this proposal as a matter of urgency”.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch supporter of Trump and considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Europe, refused to endorse part of the summit statement in favour of Ukraine.

But all 26 other EU leaders approved the bloc’s stance that there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine and that the Europeans must be involved in any talks involving their security. The Europeans have so far been sidelined in the US-led negotiations with Russia.

One of the primary outcomes of the summit is a renewed commitment from European leaders to boost their defence budgets.

With the war in Ukraine continuing and the EU seeking to rely less on US support, leaders discussed ways to enhance Europe’s military capabilities. The European Commission proposed measures such as fiscal flexibility and even joint borrowing to help member states increase their defence spending.

Von der Leyen warned that Ukraine — and Europe as a whole — have arrived at a “watershed moment”.

“Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore, Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself. We have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for lasting and just peace,” she said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also called for strengthening European nations’ defence capabilities.

After a meeting with Macron in France on Wednesday, Orban took to X and said: “My meetings in France confirmed that while we may disagree on the modalities of peace, we do agree that we must strengthen the defence capabilities of European nations.”

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, reiterated the need for Europe to enhance its defence capabilities, saying it should happen even if some member states disagree.

“We need more European defence, and if one or two countries do not want to share that view, I think that the others should go ahead as much as they can. And that is what I am advocating for,” Frieden said before the meeting in Brussels.

Zelensky has continued to receive firm backing from European leaders, who also discussed the expansion of military aid and potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelensky thanked European leaders for their continued support, saying it meant Ukraine was not “alone” in its fight to repel Russia’s invasion.

“It’s very important you made a strong signal to the Ukrainian people,” he said.

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated a rejection of any “dictated peace” in Ukraine as talks between Washington and Moscow fuel fears of an unfavourable settlement being imposed on Kyiv.

“It is very important that we make sure that Ukraine does not have to accept a dictated peace but that it is a just and fair peace that guarantees (Ukraine’s) sovereignty and independence,” Scholz said.

At least 20 countries, mostly European and Commonwealth nations, have expressed interest in joining a “coalition of the willing” proposed this week by the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to support Ukraine.

Starmer said the UK, France and other nations would form this coalition to draw up plans to offer Ukraine support in the event of a peace deal to end Russia’s war.

Countries that have publicly indicated they would consider sending peacekeepers to enforce a deal include Australia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Turkey, which has the second largest army in NATO after the US.

A number of other countries have not ruled out sending soldiers, including Canada, Denmark and Sweden.

While details remain under discussion, the message was clear: Europe remains united in supporting Kyiv in the face of Russia.

“Europe as a whole is truly capable of winning any military, financial, economic confrontation with Russia. We are simply stronger,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

“We just had to start believing in it. And today it seems to be happening.”

During the summit, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said his country expects to deliver F-16 fighter jets for battle in Ukraine in 2026. He said the promised delivery of the jets had been delayed because Belgium is awaiting delivery of new F-35s to replace them.

For its part, Sweden said it will send up to eight Gripen fighter jets to take part in a NATO mission to police the airspace of Poland, which borders Ukraine.

The move comes after Sweden suspended plans to send its domestically developed Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine last year.

A particularly notable moment in the summit came from Macron, who proposed extending France’s nuclear deterrence umbrella to other EU countries.

Such a move aims to strengthen Europe’s defence position. However, it was met with mixed reactions. While some leaders welcomed the idea, others expressed concerns about nuclear policy complexities within the EU.

Poland and the Baltic nations welcomed Macron’s proposal.

Scholz expressed reservations, emphasising NATO’s existing deterrence system and advocating for increased defence spending across Europe instead.

Asked to comment on France’s offer, Scholz said: “What we have in terms of nuclear involvement, … I don’t think that should be given up.”

Despite the strong support for ramping up defence capabilities, divisions remained over how to fund Europe’s increased defence efforts. Some countries, including Hungary, have voiced scepticism about joint financing plans and proposed defence commitments.

Russia, meanwhile, said it would not accept the presence of European peacekeepers in Ukraine, claiming that would signal direct NATO involvement in the war.

The Kremlin also strongly decried as “extremely confrontational” Macron’s warning on Wednesday about what he called Russia’s “threat to Europe” and the need for unity.

His speech indicated that France is thinking about “continuing the war”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

In remarks on Wednesday to women who lost relatives in the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country should choose a peace in Ukraine that will ensure the long-term security of Russia and its sustainable development.

“We must choose for ourselves a peace option that will suit us and that will ensure peace for our country in the long term,” Putin said.

“We don’t need anything else, but we won’t give up our own,” he added.

While the summit underscored Europe’s determination to support Ukraine and boost its defence capabilities, it also revealed ongoing debates over funding and strategic direction.

The coming months will be vital as EU leaders work to move these discussions into concrete actions, ensuring Europe can sustain its role in supporting Ukraine while reinforcing its own security, experts said.

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