EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday for a special defense council, as Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, warned that the continent was at a « turning point in history. »
In addition to rearmament, leaders are expected to discuss how the body may support Kiev in the announcement of the announcement of United States President Donald Trump, on Monday that he would suspend help in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky is invited to the summit.
Since then the nerves have grown more and more in Europe Trump and Zelensky’s clash in the White House last weekAnd the rhetoric around the Thursday summit leaves no doubt about the importance that EU officials attribute.
Three years after The Russian large -scale invasion of UkraineTrump’s administration’s openings to Russian President Vladimir Putin have left many in Europe that the continent could not trust the United States support for its safety.
Washington’s decision Wednesday To stop the intelligence sharing with Ukraine Did nothing to relieve these concerns.
In a sign of the depth of concern, President Macron said that France was open to discuss on Wednesday of the protection offered by its nuclear arsenal to its European partners, during an address to the nation Wednesday.
This followed a call from Friedrich Merz, who was probably the next chancellor in Germany, to discuss the increase in nuclear exchange.
Europe faced a « clear danger and present on a scale that none of us have seen in our adult life, » said European Commission’s head, Ursula von der Leyen, while European Council President António Costa said that this was a « definitive moment for Ukrainian and European safety ».
In a letter to European leaders, von der Leyen also said that the continent had to « fulfill the moment » and « to trigger our industrial and productive power and to direct it to the security goal ».
On Monday, von der Leyen announced an unprecedented defense package (called Rearm Europe) and said that Europe was ready to increase its expense in defense « with the speed and ambition needed. »
Von der Leyen said that the three proposals set out in the Rearm Europe plan would support Ukraine and « addressing the long -term need to have much more responsibility » for European security, probably referring to the fact that many Europeans feel that the continent can no longer automatically rely on the United States to approach its help.
Proposals include:
- Allowing countries to increase national deficit levels to give rise to more expenses in defense
- 150 million euros (£ 125 million) in investment loans in defense in domains that could benefit the EU defense as a whole, for example, the defense of air and missiles, anti -demons and military mobility – helping the demand for pool and reducing joint hiring.
- It allows countries to redirect funds for cohesion policy programs (policies aimed at scoring the differences between increasingly advantageous regions) on defense expenditure on defense
The European Investment Bank would also allow military projects to be financed.
According to Von Der Leyen, the plan could release a total of 800 million euros ($ 860 million; $ 670 million) on defense expenses.
Many European leaders have indicated their support for quick and decisive action in terms of the safety of the continent.
Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland, said that the Commission’s plan was « a fundamental change », while the Lithuanian President, Gitanas Naususe, said that the summit would give Europe the opportunity to show « whether it is only a debate club or if we can make decisions. »
But it is expected to show certain European leaders sympathizing with Moscow.
Earlier this week, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the EU’s « peace » approach was « unrealistic ».
And in a letter to the coast, Viktor Orban from Hungary demanded that Ukraine be not mentioned in any written conclusions after the summit.
Orban, who has repeatedly tried to block EU help in Ukraine and praised Trump to « be brave for peace, » said that there was now a « strategic division … between most Europe and the USA ».
« One side insists on extending the war to Ukraine, while the other is looking for the end of the conflict, » he added.
However, Orban left the door open to a « greater probability of cooperation » with other leaders on commons of security and defense.
While Thursday’s crisis summit takes place in Brussels, United Kingdom Defense Secretary John Healey will be in Washington for debates with his counterpart Pete Hegseth on the United States decision to have a Ukraine intelligence pause.
His bilateral meeting will focus on a possible peace plan as efforts continue to overcome a transatlantic break on Kiev’s future security.
Perhaps in a final offer to try to get the unity before the summit, Emmanuel Macron, who has been in the center of EU efforts to overcome the gap between Kiev and Washington – invited Orban to dinner in Paris on Wednesday evening.
The two leaders met immediately after the French President gave a Shadom address to the nation in which he said that France and Europe had to be ready if the United States were no longer by his side.
« We must be united and determined to protect us, » Macron said. He added that the future of Europe could not be tied to Washington or Moscow, and said that « he wanted to believe that the United States will stay by our side, we must be prepared for this to be the case. »
The French President plans to hold a meeting of heads of the European Army in Paris next week.
Macron said that « decisive steps » would be taken in Brussels, leaving the European countries « more willing to defend and protect ».
« The moment calls for unprecedented decisions, » he concluded.
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