(AFP) – Volodymyr Zelensky thanked EU leaders Thursday for standing by Ukraine’s side, as the bloc held crisis talks on confronting US President Donald Trump’s pivot away from Kyiv and its transatlantic partners. Thursday’s European summit comes a week after a White House blow-up between Trump and Zelensky led Washington to cut the military aid and intelligence sharing that has helped Kyiv fight off Russia’s invasion.
“We are very thankful that we are not alone. And these are not just words,” the Ukrainian president said as the Brussels meeting kicked off, standing alongside EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa. With America’s long-term commitment to Europe’s security now in doubt, the bloc faces immense pressure to rise to the moment. Already this week, Germany’s likely next leader pledged a historical U-turn on defence.
Von der Leyen, who has laid out a plan aimed at mobilising 800 billion euros to “re-arm Europe” faced with the threat from Russia, called it “a watershed moment” for the continent. “Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself,” the European Commission chief told reporters. “It’s also a watershed moment for Ukraine,” she said. “We have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for a lasting and just peace.”
The EU’s 27 nations are expected to give a green light Thursday to the commission’s defence plans, based largely on freeing states to spend much more — something the bloc’s two economic powerhouses look set to do. In a sombre national address on the summit’s eve, France’s President Emmanuel Macron called for a defence spending surge and said he would discuss extending France’s nuclear deterrent to European partners — an idea swiftly welcomed by key eastern power Poland.
“Who can believe that this Russia of today will stop at Ukraine?” Macron asked. “I want to believe that the United States will stay by our side, but we have to be prepared for that not to be the case.” Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz, who conferred with EU chiefs in Brussels ahead of the talks, has declared himself ready for “the worst-case scenario” and embraced radical reforms to pump up German defence spending.
Zelensky’s visit to Brussels comes as he scrambles to reengage Washington after the Oval Office debacle — declaring himself ready to work towards a peace deal under Trump’s “strong leadership” and to finalise an accord on US access to Ukrainian mineral resources. But Germany’s outgoing leader Olaf Scholz reiterated European warnings against any “dictated peace” in Ukraine. A future settlement must guarantee Kyiv’s “sovereignty and independence,” he said.
Trump’s outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the three-year war — sidelining both Kyiv and its European partners — has thrown Europe into crisis mode as it contemplates the possibility of a more lasting withdrawal of US security support. It has also helped draw Britain back into the European fold, five years after leaving the EU. Now Prime Minister Keir Starmer is working in tandem with Macron to rebuild bridges between Trump and Zelensky.
Starmer and other European leaders made a show of embracing Zelensky at weekend talks in London that brought in NATO’s secretary general and non-EU partners such as Turkey. EU chiefs will be briefing the British leader after the Brussels summit. France and Britain have pitched a one-month truce “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure” and are calling for a “coalition of the willing” to help secure a ceasefire, with a British official saying Thursday talks with around 20 countries are under way. Turkey separately indicated Thursday it could play a part in peacekeeping efforts.
Leaders in Brussels are to start thrashing out more broadly what “security guarantees” the bloc might provide for a peace deal. That could include the deployment of European troops, something several states support, but which Russia reiterated Thursday it would not accept. But while Zelensky can expect strong signals of support, several states argue Europe currently has enough money committed to meet Kyiv’s needs — despite the US freeze on aid.
As a result, the meeting is unlikely to yield major new announcements of aid for Kyiv, beyond the 30 billion euros ($32 billion) the bloc has already earmarked for this year.
burs-ec/raz/giv – Emma CHARLTON
© 2024 AFP
