European leaders have vowed to rearm the continent at historic emergency talks held after the United States threatened to rip up 80 years of security guarantees over the trajectory of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Since taking office in January, US President Donald Trump has fundamentally changed transatlantic relations, suspended all military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv and again cast doubt that the US would defend its NATO allies if attacked.
With Russia posing what French President Emmanual Macron called an “existential threat” to Europe, the continent is now scrambling to prepare for the once-unthinkable prospect of defending itself in a potential future conflict without the help of America.
And as the European Union leaders push for Ukraine and Europe to heard in peace talks, they were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on Thursday.
Zelensky announced he will visit Saudi Arabia next week to present an initial ceasefire plan ahead of talks between Kyiv and Washington, following his unprecedented televised argument with Trump in the White House last week.
Here’s what to know:
Billions in defense spending
At an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels, the EU leaders agreed to plans that could free up billions of euros to ensure Europe’s security, boost defense spending, and shore up support for Kyiv.
The EU’s executive arm presented leaders with a proposal that could mobilize up to 800 billion euros ($862 billion) to bolster defense on the continent.
Part of the rearmament plan would provide countries with loans totaling up to 150 billion euros ($162 billion).
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen called it a “watershed moment” for Europe and said detailed legal proposals will be studied ahead of another meeting at the end of the month.
Macron also announced the EU will give Ukraine more than $33 billion in assistance, taken from Russians sanctioned by Europe. “In 2025, the EU will provide Ukraine with 30.6 billion euros, financed by Russian assets,” Macron said.
The leaders said that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine constituted an “existential challenge for the European Union,” and that Europe must become “more sovereign, more responsible for its own defense and better equipped to act and deal autonomously with immediate and future challenges and threats.”
Alarm over Article 5
A joint declaration from the NATO leaders’ summit in Washinton, DC last year, stated that “Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to NATO security.” In the eyes of his allies, Trump is throwing that central theme to the wind.
On Thursday, Trump again suggested the US may abandon its commitments to the security alliance – a key bedrock of Western security against the risk of a Russian attack – saying that member countries were not spending enough on defense.
“I think it’s common sense. If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” Trump said.
At the core of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and enshrined in Article 5 of the treaty is the promise of collective defense — that an attack on one member nation is an attack on all.
Trump has long complained about the amount NATO members spend on defense compared with the US.
But his comments could raise alarm around the world, coming as the US changes its position on the Ukraine war, and amid accusations the Trump administration is aligning with Russia over its allies.
“We see now the White House takes steps towards the Kremlin, trying to meet them half way, so the next target of Russia could be Europe,” Kyiv’s ambassador to the United Kingdom Valerii Zaluzhnyi said Thursday. He added that the US is “destroying” the current world order.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday emphasized the importance of the US’ commitment to NATO, saying, “Let me be clear, the Transatlantic relationship and the Transatlantic partnership remains the bedrock of our Alliance.”
A peace deal with Europe’s involvement
As European leaders voiced near-unanimous support for Ukraine, European Commission President Von der Leyen warned that negotiations for peace would only be possible with Europe’s support.
Of the 27 EU leaders present in Brussels, all but one signed a text calling for a peace deal that respects “Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while including Ukraine in the negotiations. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban abstained.
France’s Macron had outlined a plan for a one-month “air, sea and energy infrastructure” ceasefire in Ukraine, which could pave the way for a more lasting peace deal.
But he warned that allies “must avoid a ceasefire that is discussed in haste.”
And Ukraine withdrawing its NATO bid without a security guarantee as a condition of any ceasefire is “obviously unacceptable,” he added.
Zelensky said he is “preparing practical proposals” to end the war with European leaders. The first step would be for Russia to stop airstrikes on energy and civilian infrastructure and halt “all military operations in the Black Sea,” Zelensky posted on X.
The Ukrainian president will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia next week, and his team will stay in the country “to work with our American partners,” he said.
The UK and Turkey, two NATO allies and key backers of Ukraine – but not EU members – were not present at the summit. Britain’s leader Keir Starmer has said he is ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine to help keep any truce agreed between Kyiv and Moscow.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, rejected the one-month ceasefire proposal, and said the idea of European peacekeeping troops being deployed in Ukraine would be “unacceptable.”
The ministry said the “normalization” of the Russia-US relationship is “causing panic” in Europe.
Meanwhile, China’s special envoy for European Affairs Lu Shaye said he hopes Europe can be stirred by the “Trump administration’s aggressive and domineering policies toward Europe” to “at least reflect on some of their past policies toward China.”