EU summit in Brussels: Europe’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine
An exceptional EU summit is being held today in Brussels, where the 27 EU member states aim to send a strong message to Putin’s Russia: even if Trump’s America withdraws its support for Kiev, Europe will not abandon Ukraine.
At the same time, Emmanuel Macron’s speech last night in Paris marked the beginning of a new strategic era. Similarly, in Germany, history seems to be moving as quickly as it did at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The future chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has already hinted that once in power, he will abandon the revered budgetary discipline and pursue every possible means to rearm Germany against Putin’s Russia.
“The future of Europe cannot be determined in Moscow or Washington,” said Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday evening in a televised address to the nation.
“I want to believe that the U.S. will be on our side, but we must be prepared in case that doesn’t happen,” added the French president.
“We can no longer trust Russia’s word,” Macron added. The French president identified Russia as the primary current threat to Europe and discussed the issue of France’s nuclear weapons, with France being the only nuclear power in the European Union.
Although the issue of sending European peacekeeping troops to Ukraine will be addressed today, several French officials are already discussing the possibility of another military and strategic gesture: the deployment of French nuclear aircraft in Germany – of course, with Berlin’s approval – as a signal to Putin’s Russia from Europe.
The leaders of the 27 EU countries will also discuss the European Commission’s “REARM Europe” plan, presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with the leaders set to respond to this proposal at the Brussels summit.
This is a program of collective loans worth 150 billion euros from capital markets, backed by the EU budget... a plan that would provide member states with greater flexibility to depart from strict rules on debt and deficits if it concerns defense spending.
One of the first issues leaders will consider is a plan announced on Tuesday by Ursula von der Leyen to unlock up to 800 billion euros from additional expenditures, directing it towards defense in the coming years.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
