European Union leaders have backed plans to spend more on defence amid growing uncertainty over United States President Donald Trump’s support for the continent’s security.
In recent weeks, Trump has raised concerns among allies over the reliability of the US as a security partner, as he embraces Russia, withdraws US support for Ukraine and upends the cornerstones of cooperation with Europe that have been in place for decades.
The 27 EU leaders signed off on Thursday 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 national level in all Member States”, a statement said.
The EU’s executive branch estimates that about 650 billion euros ($702bn) could be freed up in this way.
The leaders also took note of a commission offer of a loan package worth 150 billion euros ($162bn) to buy new military equipment and invited EU headquarters staff “to examine this proposal as a matter of urgency”.
“Europe must take up this challenge, this arms race. And it must win it,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
“Europe as a whole is truly capable of winning any military, financial, economic confrontation with Russia – we are simply stronger,” Tusk said.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the defence spending plan was “a watershed moment” for Ukraine and for the continent, which was facing “a clear and present danger” and needed to “protect itself”.
Hungary holdout
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the plan and expressed hopes that some of it could be used to bolster Ukraine’s own defence industry, which can produce weapons more cheaply than elsewhere in Europe and closer to the battlefields where they are needed.
“We are very thankful that we are not alone, and these are not just words. We feel it. It’s very important,” Zelenskyy said, looking far more relaxed among Europe’s leaders in Brussels than almost a week ago when he was berated by Trump in Washington, DC.
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.
“We all know that Viktor Orban is blocking many of the moves made by the other EU member states,” Theresa Fallon, an analyst at the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies told Al Jazeera.
Macron warning
Decades of reliance on US protection, divergences on funding and on how France’s nuclear deterrent could be used for Europe showed how difficult it would be for the EU to fill the void left by Washington after it froze its military aid to Ukraine.
Washington provided more than 40 percent of military aid to Ukraine last year, according to NATO.
On the eve of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed his nation, stressing that Russia had become a threat to all of Europe.
“I want to believe that the United States will stand by us. But we have to be ready if that is not the case,” he said.
Poland and the Baltic nations have welcomed a proposal by Macron to launch talks about using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats, a move Moscow quickly dismissed as “extremely confrontational”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the weekend that London and Paris would work on a peace deal with Ukraine and present it to Trump.
Macron told Le Figaro newspaper that the deal would feature a one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine.
However, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the proposals. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any pause in the fighting would enable Ukraine to strengthen its military, which would lead to a prolonged conflict.
