EU LEADERS AGREE ON DEFENCE SURGE-Von Der Leyen says EU wants peace from a position of strength.
European leaders on Thursday (March 6) backed plans to spend more on defence and continue to stand by Ukraine in a world upended by President Donald Trump’s reversal of U.S. policies.
The European Union’s defence summit in Brussels took place amid fears that Russia, emboldened by its war in Ukraine, may attack an EU country next and that Europe can no longer rely on the U.S. to come to its aid.
EU leaders hailed the European Commission’s proposals this week to give them fiscal flexibility on defence spending and to jointly borrow up to 150 billion euros ($160 billion) to lend to EU governments to spend on their militaries. In a joint statement agreed by all 27 member states, the leaders called on their ministers to examine these proposals in detail urgently.
Several EU leaders also voiced support for Ukraine, with the exception of Hungary’s leader Viktor Orban, amongst others. The EU leaders in a statementsaid that there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine, and pledged their support to the country.
