On Thursday, the leaders of the European Union undertook to cooperate to strengthen the defense of the continent and dismiss hundreds of billions of euros for security after the repetitive warnings of US President Donald Trump that he would cut them to face the threat of Russia itself.
Along with the growing belief that they will now have to cope with their own, countries that have settled defense expenses for decades took place in Brussels in Brussels to investigate new ways to increase security and ensure future protection of Ukraine.
This movement emphasized the change of the sea in geopolitics stimulated by Trump, which undermined 80 years of cooperation based on understanding that the US would help protect European nations after the Second World War.
27 EU leaders have signed to relax budget restrictions so that willing EU countries could increase their military expenses. It also called that the European Commission was declared to search for new ways of “facilitating significant defense expenses” in all Member States.
The EU Executive Department estimates that about EUR 650 billion (over 1 trillion CDN) can be released in this way.
Leaders also noted a loan commission offer worth EUR 150 billion ($ 231 billion CDN) for the purchase of new military equipment and inviting the staff of the headquarters in the EU “to examine this proposal for urgency”.
The United States cut off Ukraine from the key and potentially rescuing interview in the war with the full invasion of Russia, and the Trump administration suggests that it can be restored if the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy would fulfill the US efforts at the end of the conflict.
The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an avid supporter of Trump and considered the closest ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Europe, refused to support a part of the statement at the summit for Ukraine.
But all 26 other EU leaders approved the position of the block that there could be no negotiations towards Ukraine without Ukraine and that Europeans must be involved in any conversations regarding their safety.
Until now, Europeans have been removed aside in negotiations conducted by the USA with Russia.
Zelenskyy to travel to peace conversations
In other events, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the talks between Ukraine and the USA after the war will take place in Saudi Arabia next week. In his night speech, Zelenskyy said that on Monday he would go to Saudi Arabia to meet the Crown Prince in the country, and his team would remain in a conversation with US officials.
In recent weeks, Trump has overthrined old certainty about the credibility of the United States as a security partner, when he covers Russia, withdraws American support for Ukraine and raises the tradition of cooperation with Europe, which has been the basis of Western security for generations.
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country has a rotational presidency of the EU, said that three years of war in Ukraine and a change in attitudes in Washington “are completely new challenges for us, and Europe must take this challenge … and must win.”
“We will be armed faster, smarter and more efficient than Russia,” said Tusk.
Expenditure plans Win early support
Zelenskyy accepted the plan to loosen the budget rules and expressed the hope that some new expenses can be used to strengthen their own defense industry of Ukraine, which can produce weapons more cheap than elsewhere in Europe and closer to the battlefield on which they are needed.
“We are very grateful that we are not alone, and this is not just words. We feel it. This is very important, “said Zelenskyy, looking much more relaxed among European leaders in Brussels than almost a week ago, when he received verbal blows from Trump in Washington.
Friedrich Merz, likely, the next German Chancellor and the president of Summit Anónio Costa discussed the ways to strengthen the defense of Europe in a short term. Merz summed up plans this week to relax the principles of his nation in the scope of increasing debts to enable higher defense expenses.
Other leaders also seemed ready to do more.
“Spend, spend, spend defense and deterrent. This is the most important message, “Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told journalists.
The call is a sharp departure from decades of fall On military expenses in Europe, where defense often included a low position in many budgetary respects after the Cold War.
In a speech to his country on Wednesday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the block would “take decisive steps.”
“Member States will be able to increase their military expenses,” he said, noting that “huge joint financing for purchase and produce one of the most innovative ammunitions, tanks, weapons and equipment in Europe will be provided.”
Macron was expected to admit his EU counterparts about the possibility of using the French repelling nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.
Ukraine was the main topic of the meeting of US President Donald Trump and President of France Emmanuel Macron on Monday, but there was no agreement at the end of the war or what would happen after suspension of the weapon.
Helping EU countries to find more money
Short -term benefits of the budget plan offered by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen were not obvious. Most of the increased defense expenses would have to come from domestic budgets at a time when many countries are already overloaded with debt.
Part of the proposal includes funds to ensure that the fighting Member States will not be punished for too deep place in red if additional expenses are allocated to defense.
“Europe is in the face of a clear and current danger, and therefore Europe must be able to protect itself, defend itself,” she said.
France tries to reduce the excessive annual budget deficit of five percent of GDP, after increasing the total debt burden to 112 percent of GDP with expenses for release for enterprises and consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy crisis that occurred after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Five other countries using the euro currency have a debt level of over 100 percent of GDP: Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
The largest economy in Europe, Germany, has more space for borrowing, with a debt level of 62 percent of GDP.
Insisting the needs of security in Ukraine
Part of each security plan would be to help defend Ukraine against Russian attacks, such as the one who hit the hometown of Zelenskyy at the end of Wednesday.
The Russian missile killed four people stopping at a hotel in Kryvya Rih in central Ukraine, shortly after moving volunteers from the humanitarian organization. Volunteers were Ukrainian, American and British citizens, but it was unclear whether these people were among 31 who were injured.
At the beginning of this week, Trump ordered a break in American military supplies sent to Ukraine when he tried to press Zelenskyy to get involved in negotiations to end the war with Russia. This movement brought fresh urgency to Thursday's peak.
But it was unlikely that the meeting in Brussels would satisfy the most burning needs of Ukraine. It was not intended to stimulate more weapons and ammunition to fill all vacuum supplies created by the American freezing. All nations will not agree not to block the estimated 183 billion euros ($ 282 billion CDN) in frozen Russian assets taking place in Belgian settlement, a pool of ready cash that could be obtained.
As always, among 27 nations, the main challenge is to build a united attitude when the block is broken, because many of his actions require unanimous support. The Hungarian veto in Ukraine's statement emphasized the problem.
“We must make decisions regardless of one or two that are contradictory every time,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Naeseda. “Otherwise, the history of us is punished, and we will pay very high costs.”