European Union leaders agreed to significantly boost defense spending to ensure Europe’s security and voiced near-unanimous support for Ukraine at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, after the United States dramatically pulled back its assistance to the continent in a historic upending of transatlantic relations. At the summit in Brussels, 26 European leaders signed a text calling for a peace deal that respects “Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while including Ukraine in the negotiations. Hungary abstained.
In a separate text, all 27 leaders of Europe greenlit proposals that could free up billions of euros to boost defense spending, calling on the European Commission to find new ways to “facilitate significant defense spending at national level in all Member States.” Leaders noted a proposal from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that would provide countries a 800 billion euro plan to increase European defence spending including loans totaling up to 150 billion euros and said the plan would be studied ahead of another meeting at the end of the month.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attended Thursday’s special session, and thanked the leaders of the EU for supporting him as his relationship with US President Donald Trump disintegrated over recent days. “During all of this period, and last week, you stayed with us,” Zelensky said at the meeting. “From all the Ukrainians, from all our nation: big appreciation. We are very thankful that we are not alone.”
Following the Special European Council summit in Brussels, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on Thursday that the EU will give Ukraine over $33 billion in assistance, taken from Russians sanctioned by the EU. “The priority is to support Ukraine and its army in the very short term,” Macron said. “In 2025, the EU will provide Ukraine with 30.6 billion euros, financed by Russian assets.” In Washington meanwhile, Trump reiterated his criticism of unequal defense spending among NATO countries. “I think it’s common sense. If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” Trump said.
Heads of the 27 EU nations had traveled to Brussels to find a path forward in the conflict; the latest in a string of sessions aimed at finding a ceasefire deal with Ukraine’s support before the US and Russia force one on Kyiv. But some fear that the involvement of ambivalent countries could derail efforts to put together a peace plan which might satisfy both Kyiv and Washington. And there is uncertainty across Europe that Trump would even be interested in any plan the continent presents him with.
Asked about how Europe can convince the US to include them in negotiations over the war in Ukraine, von der Leyen said that all parties want “peace from a position of strength. This is also in the interest of President Trump, to have a peaceful strength, and if he wants to achieve this, it is only possible with the support of the European Union and its member states, because pre-conditions have to be met,” she said.
Europe is “entering a new era,” Macron admitted in a televised address on Wednesday night, describing an increased weariness over the shift in Trump’s tone toward Moscow. “The United States, our ally, has changed its position on this war, is less supportive of Ukraine and is casting doubt on what will happen next,” Macron warned.
Hungary was the only country whose leader refused to sign Thursday’s Ukraine text at the summit, though Prime Minister Viktor Orban did agree to the statement on defense. By doing so, Hungary “isolated” itself from the consensus of Europe, European Council President Antonio Costa said in a statement to press after the meeting.
