Jennifer Rankin – The Guardian March 6, 2025

European leaders holding emergency talks in Brussels have agreed on a massive increase to defence spending, amid a drive to shore up support for Ukraine after Donald Trump halted US military aid and intelligence sharing.

It came as French president Emmanuel Macron warned on Thursday night that “the only imperial power that I see today in Europe is Russia” and called Vladimir Putin as “an imperialist who seeks to rewrite history” after the Russian president appeared to compare him to Napoleon Bonaparte.

Macron also hit back at Russian reactions to his description of Moscow as an existential threat to Europe, saying the Kremlin had clearly been piqued by the fact their game had been uncovered. Macron said Russia reacted the way it did to his speech warning that Russian aggression “knows no borders” because it was true.

The European show of unity was marred by Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, failing to endorse an EU statement on Ukraine pushing back against Trump’s Russia-friendly negotiating stance.

The 26 other EU leaders, including Orbán’s ally Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister, “firmly supported” the statement. “There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine,” said the statement, a response to Trump’s attempt to sideline Europe and Kyiv.

The European Council president António Costa, who called the meeting, said: “Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine, but that means Hungary is isolated among the 27.”

Arriving at the summit, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had originally been scheduled to join by video link, said: “We are very thankful that we are not alone.”

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who presented to leaders an €800bn (£670bn) plan to increase European defence spending, said it was “a watershed moment for Europe” and also for Ukraine.

Von der Leyen later told reporters that if Trump wanted “peace through strength” this would only be possible with the EU and its member states “because preconditions have to be met”. There were “many examples that show how important the support of Europe is to come to a positive end”, she said citing EU economic, military aid and support to keep Ukraine’s energy system running.

Earlier in the day, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, set the tone of the meeting. “Spend, spend, spend on defence and deterrence,” she said. “That is the most important message, and at the same time, of course, continue to support Ukraine, because we want peace in Europe.”

Zelenskyy shook leaders’ hands and was embraced by several around the table at the start of the meeting. It was a stark contrast to the hostility from Washington, where US officials doubled down on the decision to cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

The US envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said it had been done to show the US was serious about ending the war. “The best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a two by four across the nose. You get their attention,” he said.

Separately, Ukrainian opposition leaders confirmed they had met members of Trump’s entourage, but they denied seeking to remove Zelenskyy from power.

Addressing EU leaders, Zelenskyy said: “The real question for any negotiations is whether Russia is capable of giving up the war,” as he noted Russia was increasing military spending, growing its army and “making no pauses in trying to overcome sanctions”.

Zelenskyy later said on social media he planned to visit Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. “After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners,” he wrote. “Ukraine is most interested in peace. As we told POTUS, Ukraine is working and will continue to work constructively for a swift and reliable peace.”

The EU special summit was called last week after Trump embarked on his direct diplomacy with Vladimir Putin, but before the US president’s bullying encounter with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and the suspension of US military aid.

EU leaders largely endorse the plan to “rearm Europe” outlined by von der Leyen earlier this week, although the €800bn is highly theoretical, depending on decisions by member states.

“Europe must become more sovereign, more responsible for its own defence and better equipped to act and deal autonomously with immediate and future challenges and threats,” the final conclusions state. The EU “will accelerate the mobilisation of the necessary instruments and financing” to boost security and “reinforce its overall defence readiness [and] reduce its strategic dependencies”.

Arriving at the summit, von der Leyen told reporters: “Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself, as we have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for a lasting and just peace.”

The commission has said its plan is worth €800bn, including a €150bn loan scheme secured against unused funds in the EU budget, as well as greater flexibilities in the EU’s fiscal rules that could unlock €650bn in new spending.

Member states would still have to agree to the €150bn loans scheme, while it is unclear if governments would make full use of the €650bn financial leeway the commission suggests.

Some of the money could be used by EU countries to finance military aid for Ukraine. “The best security guarantees are the Ukrainians themselves,” Costa said, although EU diplomats privately acknowledge Europe will not be able to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of US military aid.

Pressure is growing on all countries to increase national defence budgets, especially the seven EU Nato members, including Spain and Italy, that are below the 2% target set more than a decade ago. Belgium’s new prime minister, Bart De Wever, said his country was “an extremely poor pupil” and “getting a slap on the wrist that we deserve”.

In a seismic shift, Germany’s probable next coalition partners, the CDU-CSU and SPD, have agreed to change the country’s “debt brake” to allow increased spending on defence, heralding billions for armaments production. Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, the fiscal hawk turned defence spending advocate, met von der Leyen and Costa before the summit, although he is not yet at the table.

The current German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who represents Germany as coalition talks continue, said there appeared to be growing consensus on changing the German constitution to allow greater defence spending. The unexpected move from Berlin has left Germany’s frugal-minded allies scrambling to understand the ramifications.

Scholz gave a cool response to Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to allow European allies to shelter under the French nuclear umbrella, saying Europe should not give up on US involvement. Merz, however, has said he wants to discuss with Paris and London whether British and French nuclear protection could be extended to Germany.

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